Taiwan celebrates 55th Anniversary of Eswatini’s Independence – Asia News

President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan delivered a speech at the ceremony marking the 55th anniversary of Eswatini’s independence and the 55th birthday of King Mswati III at Eswatini’s Somhlolo National Stadium.

During her remarks, President Tsai highlighted the strong partnership of more than five decades between Taiwan and Eswatini, noting the remarkable progress achieved by both nations. Among the achievements mentioned is the outstanding rate of access to electricity in Eswatini, which ranks second among African countries, with 82 percent of the population connected to the electricity grid.

Tsai stressed the importance of collaboration in youth education and training, noting that many Eswatini students are pursuing studies in Taiwan in various disciplines, including agriculture, education, management and medicine.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini begins

Gender equality and the empowerment of women were also themes highlighted by President Tsai, who mentioned the signing of a memorandum of understanding on a loan program to support the creation of women-led businesses, thus continuing a similar agreement signed in 2019 to facilitate women’s access to financial services.

President Tsai expressed her gratitude to King Mswati III for his support for Taiwan’s active participation in international organizations during the 77th UN General Assembly. She also thanked Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini for his support in international contexts.

In response, King Mswati III thanked the president for her speech and highlighted her government’s achievements in various areas, including the economy, where Eswatini has been recognized by the World Bank and has maintained a GDP growth rate of 8 percent. . The king expressed his commitment to continue working hard to bring the country up to world-class standards and anticipated a bright future in collaboration with diplomatic allies and the international community.