Lai seeks deeper cooperation with Eswatini as king visits Taiwan

Taipei, Oct. 9 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) called for deeper cooperation with Eswatini, as he received the country's leader, King Mswati III, at a military ceremony in Taipei Friday.

Mswati arrived early Friday for a state visit that runs until Oct. 17 and includes attending Taiwan's National Day celebrations Saturday. The trip marks his 20th visit to Taiwan and comes as the two countries celebrate 58 years of diplomatic relations.

Welcoming the king, Lai said cooperation with Eswatini expanded under Taiwan's diplomatic initiative to promote shared prosperity with its allies, with increasingly close exchanges between their peoples.

In separate remarks Friday morning, Lai highlighted cooperation in healthcare, education, vocational training, digital technology, infrastructure and energy, saying the partnership could further support industrial development and improve people's welfare.

He thanked the king for supporting the establishment of a Taiwan Industrial Innovation Park in Eswatini and expressed hope that more Taiwanese companies would invest there, making the country a gateway to African markets.

The two leaders also witnessed the signing of an agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, which Lai described as a milestone in law enforcement cooperation.

Through mutual assistance and exchanges, the countries would uphold the rule of law and create a safer environment for their peoples, Lai said.

Mswati, meanwhile, emphasized turning existing bilateral agreements into practical cooperation and encouraging partnerships between businesses.

"We need to put them into action," he said, calling for officials to study how the agreements could be implemented effectively.

Lai also thanked Eswatini for supporting Taiwan's international participation, noting the king's call at this year's United Nations General Assembly for ways to facilitate Taiwan's substantive participation in U.N. meetings and activities.

At the military ceremony, Mswati reaffirmed his country's support for Taiwan's meaningful participation in the U.N. system and other multilateral organizations.

Lai recalled that external interference had prevented his planned April visit to Eswatini and thanked the king for sending an aircraft that enabled his state visit in May.

Mswati's itinerary also includes observing a joint ground-air military exercise alongside Lai, a visit to an agricultural research center and an investment dinner hosted by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.