By Ncaba Ntshakala
His Majesty King Mswati III met the First Lady of the Republic of Serbia Tamara Vučić at Mandvulo Grand Hall on Wednesday.
The First Lady Her Excellency Vučić is on a two-day official visit to Eswatini. During their meeting, His Majesty the King conveyed his utmost happiness for the visit and welcomed the First Lady to the Kingdom of Eswatini.
His Majesty further highlighted how the Kingdom values the strong friendship and relations it has with the Republic of Serbia.
The esteemed First Lady, who also met the Queen Mother, Indlovukazi, arrived on the same Wednesday and was received by the Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla at the King Mswati III International Airport.
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Dladla was with other notable figures including the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Pholile Shakantu, Minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs Jane Mkhonta, Eswatini Ambassador to Belgium Sibusisiwe Mngomezulu and others.
Her Excellency Vučić, who is married to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, after meeting Eswatini’s leadership, will tour several of the Kingdom’s business and government centres.
Her visit has been hailed as it strengthens the bilateral relations between Eswatini and Serbia, which have seen a recent uptick in collaborative efforts across various sectors.
Tamara Vučić brings with her a wealth of experience and a distinguished career. Before venturing into diplomacy, she worked as a television journalist.
Since 2010, she has been an integral part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, having graduated from the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Fluent in English and French, Her Excellency is also deeply committed to humanitarian work, particularly focusing on children’s welfare and the importance of early development.
The First Lady’s visit follows the recent diplomatic efforts of Eswatini’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Pholile Shakantu.
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Minister Shakantu, along with a delegation from Eswatini, recently visited Serbia to enhance bilateral ties. During her visit, Minister Pholile Shakantu held extensive discussions with President Aleksandar Vučić, covering a range of mutual interests, from agriculture and technology to diplomacy and visa regulations.
A key topic of these discussions was the exploration of collaborative opportunities in the agricultural sector, leveraging Serbia’s extensive expertise.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Agricultural Cooperation, signed by Minister Shakantu and Serbia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Marko Djuric, was meant to facilitate knowledge exchange and technology transfer.
This MoU addresses challenges related to climate change and aims to ensure food security in Eswatini.
Tamara Vučić’s visit will conclude on Friday after she engages in a series of discussions with Eswatini’s leadership and other notable figures.
This visit has been lauded as an example of the strong ties between Eswatini and Serbia and it has been said to be a reflection of the shared commitment to collaboration in various sectors including education, agriculture, health, and technology.
The relationship between Eswatini and Serbia dates back to 1990, characterized by mutual respect and cooperation.
Over the years, both nations have worked together to strengthen development and progress in numerous fields.
