President Lai meets Eswatini delegation

Taipei, Feb. 11 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Tuesday met with a visiting delegation led by Thulisile Dladla, deputy prime minister of Eswatini in Southern Africa, and expressed hope for increased collaborations between the two countries.

Relations between Taiwan, formally known as the Republic of China, and Eswatini have lasted over five decades, through various collaborations on agriculture, economics and trade, education and healthcare, among other fields, Lai said at the meeting at the Presidential Office.

The president added that he looked forward to seeing more partnership between the two sides, which established formal ties in 1968, in all areas.

In the face of growing threats from authoritarian regimes, Taiwan and Eswatini should continue to support each other on the international stage, Lai said, while also thanking the African nation for its backing of Taiwan's efforts to take part in international organizations.

Meanwhile, Dladla, who arrived in Taiwan on Monday for a five-day visit upon Taipei's invitation, lauded Taiwan's assistance in building Eswatini's infrastructure and promoting national development as "life-changing."

"We offer our eternal gratitude, our unwavering support, and our unbreakable commitment to this great partnership [between the two sides]," added Dladla, who previously served as Eswatini's top diplomat from 2018 to 2023.

Eswatini, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, is Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in Africa, and one of the last absolute monarchies in the world that has been ruled by King Mswati III since 1986.