Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun on Tuesday received a delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla of the Kingdom of Eswatini. The vice premier said that Taiwan and Eswatini have continually been deepening their cooperation in various areas, such as trade and economy, agriculture, health care and education. Notably, the Taiwan-Eswatini Economic Cooperation Agreement, which came into effect in 2018, has helped to bolster economic cooperation between the two nations. She further thanked Eswatini for consistently supporting Taiwan and speaking up for it on multiple occasions in international organizations, a testament to the strong friendship between Taiwan and Eswatini.
Vice Premier Cheng stated that Taiwan and Eswatini signed a memorandum of understanding in 2023 to help women in Eswatini to start businesses and secure employment. She expressed her hope that the two nations will continue to expand their collaborations in this area, as well as her confidence that both countries will have a wealth of experiences to share regarding the implementation of related initiatives.
In her remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Dladla said that Eswatini and Taiwan have maintained unbroken diplomatic ties for more than half a century despite facing various challenges, with Eswatini committing to never abandon Taiwan. She praised Taiwan for its resilience in development, highlighting its numerous contributions to medical services globally and expressing her pride for Taiwan.
The deputy prime minister further stated that gender equality pertains not only to social justice but also human rights, economic development and sustainable progress. In the future, Eswatini and Taiwan will continue to strengthen their diplomatic relations, while working together to address gender-based violence, advance women's rights and empower women to take on key leadership roles.