ROC President Lee Teng-hui and visiting King Mswati III of the Kingdom of Swaziland signed a joint communique this morning. In the communique, the two heads of state expressed their satisfaction with the cordial ties and mutual cooperation that exist between their countries, and pledged to continue their close collaboration for the mutual benefit of both countries and peoples.
The signing ceremony was held at the Office of the President, with the ROC ranking officials and the Swazi delegation members witnessing.
Before the ceremony, H.M. King Mswati III met with President Lee again for a talk, and led his delegation to bid farewell to the President while expressing his appreciation for the warm welcome and sincere reception rendered by the ROC government and its people during their stay here.
The full text of the joint communique is as follows:
At the invitation of His Excellency Lee Teng-hui, President of the Republic of China, His Majesty King Mswati III, Kingdom of Swaziland, visited the Republic of China from the third to the eighth of October 1997.
His Majesty King Mswati III was accompanied by a high ranking delegation including the Minister of Foreign Affairs and other members of his cabinet.
During the visit, the two Heads of States had a discussion on various issues relating to bilateral cooperation and international affairs. The two leaders agreed that all nations should use dialogue, negotiations and other peaceful means to resolve international disputes on the basis of the principles of sovereignty and universal equality of nations.
In this regard, the two leaders reiterated their common desire to engage in close cooperation with each other to further promote peace and prosperity amongst all nations.
His Majesty King Mswati III underscored the significant contribution that the Republic of China could give to world peace and prosperity as well as to the economic betterment of developing countries if it could play a more active role in international organizations and activities, and reiterated his firm support for bid of the Republic of China to participate in the United Nations and other world organizations.
His Majesty King Mswati III also noted with deep admiration, the Republic of China's marvelous achievements and progress, particularly in the field of democratization, and took the opportunity to express sincere appreciation for the offer made by the Republic of China to assist the Kingdom of Swaziland in the fields of agriculture, small and medium enterprise, infrastructure, health care and other development programs.
Similarly, President Lee Teng-hui expressed his sincere appreciation for the staunch support of the Kingdom of Swaziland for the Republic of China in the international community and his admiration for the achievements of the Kingdom's economic and political reforms, and promised to be a trustworthy partner of Swaziland in her pursuit of national development.
President Lee Teng-hui and His Majesty King Mswati III expressed their satisfaction with the cordial ties and mutual friendship and cooperation that exist between their two countries, and pledged to continue their close collaboration for the mutual benefit of their two countries and peoples.
The two leaders, with a view to further securing the solid diplomatic and friendly relations between the two countries, agreed to commit to a long-term relationship, and to formally set out such commitment in a protocol, in which a new framework for the scope of future cooperation is provided. The said protocol was signed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the two countries.
Before leaving Taipei, His Majesty King Mswati III expressed his sincere gratitude to His Excellency President Lee Teng-hui and the Government of the Republic of China for the warm welcome accorded to him, Queen Langangaza and his entire delegation.
Done in Taipei, the eighth day of the tenth month of the year nineteen hundred and ninety-seven, corresponding to the eighth day of the tenth month of the eighty-sixth year of the Republic of China.