President Tsai Ing-wen received Pholile Shakantu, foreign minister of the Kingdom of Eswatini, at the Presidential Office Feb. 2 in Taipei City, reaffirming the government’s commitment to deepening ties with the African ally across the board.
According to the president, interactions between Taiwan and Eswatini have grown closer in recent years, and the people are deeply touched by Eswatini’s speaking up for Taiwan at international events, including last year’s U.N. General Assembly and WHA.
Tsai said the robust bilateral cooperation has yielded fruitful results and advanced the well-being of the people on both sides, citing a memorandum of understanding on funding women entrepreneurs, a sister city agreement between Kaohsiung and Mbabane and another MOU on investment promotion signed during her visit to the African ally in 2023.
The president said she hopes to see the partnership advance in wide-ranging areas and reach new heights going forward.
In response, Shakantu expressed gratitude to Taiwan for assisting her country in sectors spanning agriculture, education, health care and technology. The 55 years of diplomatic cooperation have empowered both Eswatini and Taiwan to address shared challenges for the benefit of both sides, she added.
Eswatini stands firm in the belief that Taiwan deserves full and equal participation in the global community, remains committed to advocating for its rightful place on the world stage and expects the relationship to continue flourishing, the foreign minister said. (SFC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw