President Tsai welcomes Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini of the Kingdom of Eswatini

On March 5, a delegation from our African ally the Kingdom of Eswatini led by Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini arrived in Taiwan at the invitation of our government for a five-day state visit until March 9. Presidential Office Spokesperson Kolas Yotaka said that President Tsai Ing-wen extended a sincere welcome to the delegation on behalf of the people and government of Taiwan, and plans to meet with them at the Presidential Office on the morning of March 6.

Spokesperson Kolas stated that this is Prime Minister Dlamini's first trip to Taiwan since taking office, and that his delegation's visit comes soon after King Mswati III led a delegation to Taiwan last October. The current delegation includes the Prime Minister's wife and Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Lomvula Hlophe, Economic Planning and Development Minister Dr. Thambo Gina and Principal Secretary Thabisile Mlangeni, and Principal Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office Bertram Stewart. The inclusion of key members of the cabinet in the delegation demonstrates the importance of our close ties to Eswatini. 

The spokesperson stated that this year marks the 55th anniversary of our diplomatic relations, which have fostered long-term, close cooperation in infrastructure, medicine and public health, education, agriculture, and information and communications technology. She added that over the past three years, Taiwan and Eswatini have also worked hand-in-hand to fight the global pandemic.  

Spokesperson Kolas noted that the Kingdom of Eswatini is an important ally of Taiwan in Africa, and that the Eswatini government and Prime Minister Dlamini have expressed support for Taiwan numerous times on the international stage. Through this face-to-face exchange, the spokesperson said, we look forward to continuing to advance bilateral cooperation across the board to enhance the well-being of our peoples and further consolidate our friendly ties.