Vice President Vincent C. Siew on the afternoon of September 4 departed Taiwan on a trip to the Kingdom of Swaziland. Vice President Siew is making the visit to participate in the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the kingdom's independence as well as the 40th birthday of His Majesty King Mswati III. The vice president made a brief statement prior to boarding his plane.
Vice President Siew said that the Kingdom of Swaziland is an extremely important ally in Africa. The two nations established formal diplomatic relations in 1968 when the kingdom gained its independence. In addition to traveling to the kingdom to take part in the "twin celebrations," this year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, which is another reason to celebrate, he said. Since ascending the throne in 1986, King Mswati III has visited the ROC 11 times, with his most recent visit being in May to attend the ceremonies marking the inauguration of the president and vice president on May 20. Vice President Siew said that His Majesty and President Ma held extremely candid and detailed discussions on that visit to Taiwan.
The vice president furthermore said that top-ranking government officials from the ROC, including former President Lee Teng-hui and former President Chen Shui-bian, have visited the Kingdom of Swaziland. Vice President Siew added that when he served as minister of the Council for Economic Planning and Development, he accompanied former President Lee on a visit to the kingdom in 1994. This visit to the kingdom will mark his second trip there. Vice President Siew said the ROC presently is engaged in many cooperation projects in Swaziland. The ROC has stationed a technical mission and a medical mission in that nation. In addition, it is involved in telecommunications cooperation and promotes investment among small- and medium-sized enterprises in that nation. The ROC actively promotes cooperation projects with Swaziland, he said.
Vice President Siew said that the kingdom's "twin celebrations" will get underway on September 5 and will continue on September 6. During his two-day stay, he will meet with King Mswati III and Queen Mother Ntombi Tfwala. They will exchange opinions on many areas of bilateral relations and friendship between the two nations. They will also engage in talks on how to further strengthen the alliance and cooperation projects between the two countries. The vice president said he expects the trip to be both smooth and successful.
In ending his remarks, the vice president responded to a question made by a member of the media. He said that the government is doing its utmost in the face of difficulties in the domestic and international economic environment. He said there is no reason to be pessimistic, but that this does not in itself constitute optimism. Based on Taiwan's economic development over the past several decades, the nation needs to work even harder in order to achieve its goals, he said.