By Ncaba Ntshakala
During a momentous meeting between Prime Minister Russell Dlamini and President-elect Lai Cheng te of Taiwan, held at the distinguished office of the latter, the Prime Minister conveyed profound gratitude and admiration towards the President-elect and Taiwan.
The Prime Minister is currently in Taiwan honouring a visit from the Eastern Asian country. He expressed heartfelt appreciation for the warm hospitality extended to his delegation since their arrival in Taiwan, emphasizing the special place it had already secured in their hearts.
Prime Minister conveyed fraternal greetings from the Kingdom of Eswatini, including His Majesty King Mswati III, Her Majesty the Queen Mother, and the government and people of Eswatini.
The Premier also extended sincere congratulations to Taiwan for the successful Presidential Elections held in January, particularly lauding President-Elect Lai Cheng te for his triumph in the highly contested elections.
He commended President-Elect Lai Cheng te’s political acumen, highlighting the historic significance of obtaining a third consecutive presidential term by the ruling party DPP, which firmly entrenched Taiwan in political history.
“Your well-honed political competence came into display when you assembled an exceptional campaign team that led to your victory.” The Prime Minister stated. “Obtaining a third consecutive presidential term by your ruling party DPP has resolutely secured a place in the political history of Taiwan.”
Prime Minister Dlamini eagerly anticipated the constitutional orderly transfer of authority on May 20, 2024, affirming Eswatini’s unwavering support for Taiwan under the incoming presidency.
Moreover, Prime Minister Russell expressed the importance of reaffirming diplomatic commitments between Eswatini and Taiwan, emphasizing mutual understanding, stability, and prosperity as the bedrock of their cooperation.
He expressed eagerness to collaborate on various fronts, including socio-economic development and disaster management, recognizing Taiwan’s invaluable contributions to Eswatini’s progress. “His Majesty King Mswati III has grown an insatiable appetite for Eswatini’s socio-economic development. His keen interest in continued collaboration with you and your government, to realise this goal, I can assure you is on a level you have never imagined,” said Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister highlighted ongoing Taiwan-sponsored programs in Eswatini, ranging from women empowerment initiatives to youth empowerment and educational scholarships.
These programs include Taiwan-sponsored women empowerment programs, the Taiwan ICDF Technical Mission in Eswatini which provides technical support to local farmers in Eswatini, youth empowerment initiatives, fully funded university scholarships awarded to Swazi students to study in Taiwan, and the recently introduced Eswatini English teaching program for emaSwati to teach English in Taiwan.
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As the Premier wrapped up, Prime Minister Russell Dlamini conveyed confidence in President-Elect Lai Cheng te’s leadership and Taiwan’s continued partnership with Eswatini. He reiterated Eswatini’s unwavering commitment to maintaining strong diplomatic ties with Taiwan, expressing optimism for the future of their bilateral relationship.
“Mr. President-Elect, my country wishes to clearly express confidence in your impending constitutional duties and political competence as the incoming leader of Taiwan,” expressed the Premier. “It is, therefore, on this basis that our solemn conviction is that the Taiwan-Eswatini journey will remain uninterrupted. That, Mr. President-Elect, is essentially Eswatini’s persuasion, with no misgivings.”
