Eswatini Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Pholile Shakantu yesterday reaffirmed her country’s solid ties with Taiwan and support for its international participation during a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
Shakantu is the first foreign minister to visit Taiwan since the nation’s presidential and legislative elections on Jan. 13, as well as the first official from Eswatini’s new Cabinet, which was formed in November last year.
She congratulated Taiwan on successfully holding peaceful, fair, transparent and efficient elections last month, adding that the high turnout demonstrated Taiwanese confidence in the electoral system and their commitment to democratic values.
Photo: CNA
She also thanked Taiwan for its assistance in healthcare, education, agriculture and technology, which significantly contributed to the socioeconomic development of Eswatini and the well-being of its people.
Eswatini firmly supports Taiwan and is strongly committed to upholding the principles of sovereignty, self-determination and international solidarity, she said.
Taiwan should be able to participate fully and equally in international society, she said, adding that Eswatini would continue to voice support for the international space Taiwan deserves.
Shakantu commended Tsai for promoting diplomatic relations, trade and human rights despite external pressure, which has earned Taiwan recognition from the world.
Tsai’s tenure has been a source of inspiration for the people of Taiwan and would continue to inspire future generations, she said.
Tsai thanked Eswatini for its long support for the nation’s international participation, including its support at the UN General Assembly and the World Health Assembly.
With a good bilateral cooperation mechanism, Taiwan and Eswatini have achieved fruitful cooperation results in economy, trade, public health and information and communications, creating benefits for the people of both sides, she said.
During her visit to Eswatini in September last year, she witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on funding for female entrepreneurs in Eswatini, a sister city agreement between Kaohsiung and Mbabane, and an MOU on building oil reserve facilities in Eswatini, which all helped enhance the friendship between the two countries, Tsai said.
Tsai hoped that the delegation would gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan through the visit and wished to see the two sides continue to deepen their partnership in various fields.
Shakantu met with president-elect William Lai (賴清德) and attended a banquet held by Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) on Thursday. Her delegation is scheduled to conclude its five-day visit tomorrow.
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