President Ma Ying-jeou, accompanied by Vice President Wu Den-yih, on the morning of May 19 welcomed His Majesty King Mswati III and the Queen of the Kingdom of Swaziland to the ROC with full military honors, during which the president expressed hope for continued strengthening of the alliance between the two nations.
The ceremony was held at 10:30 a.m. at Liberty Square in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. Following a 21-gun salute and the playing of the national anthems of the two countries, President Ma and King Mswati III each delivered remarks.
President Ma mentioned that this is King Mswati III's 15th visit to the ROC, which demonstrates the importance that he places on the bilateral alliance. Swaziland, the president said, is a staunch ally of the ROC, and the two nations have had close cooperation in the 47 years since they established diplomatic relations in 1968. The president is confident that this trip to the ROC by the delegation from Swaziland will help to further deepen bilateral relations.
The president stated that the ROC and Swaziland maintain close cooperation in agricultural technology and vocational education, as well as medicine and healthcare. Citing the rural electrification project as an example, over 70% of Swaziland now has access to electricity, which is the third highest ratio in southern Africa. Meanwhile, the Rural Access to Potable Water Project in Swaziland has also been quite successful in boosting access to potable water among people in rural areas of that nation, he said.
The president furthermore stated that the King Mswati III International Airport formally went into service in October last year and that the ROC was proud to have been involved in constructing the airport terminal building. This airport not only constitutes a new beginning for the development of Swaziland's tourism industry, but has also become an important landmark in southern Africa. The president went on to say that the two countries have cooperated in promoting the Royal Science and Bio-Technology Park of Swaziland, where second-phase construction will be completed in July, after which efforts will begin to recruit companies. The president hopes that as Swaziland is building the infrastructure for the park, it will at the same time continue to strengthen the software for the facility, including formulating incentives as soon as possible to encourage investment, thereby attracting interested companies to invest in Swaziland.
Commenting on the state of bilateral educational exchanges, the president said that presently 187 students from Swaziland are studying in Taiwan in fields ranging from electrical engineering and energy, to business administration and agriculture. One of these students is Prince Buhlebenkhosi, who is studying in the Department of Business Administration at Shih Chien University, while Prince Lindaninkosi has undergone short-term special warfare training here. Also, the School of Medicine for International Students at I-Shou University offers post-bachelor's degree medical coursework, and Swaziland has a presence in that program, the president pointed out.
Discussing the ROC's involvement in the international community, the president stated that the ROC is more than just a peace-loving nation, but also seeks to promote peace and is actively engaged in a wide range of international humanitarian assistance and service work. Pointing to the outbreak of the Ebola virus as an example, the president said that the ROC not only donated 100,000 sets of protective gear to West Africa to aid in epidemic prevention work, but also donated US$1 million as part of an international fund aimed at fighting the epidemic. The ROC has also been involved in training medical personnel to serve in disaster areas. Although far away from West Africa, the ROC is always at the forefront when giving donations and providing support.
The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, expressed his deepest gratitude to Swaziland Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini for speaking on behalf of the ROC during the United Nations General Debate last year, and helping to create opportunities for Taiwan to participate in international organizations. The president also hopes that Swaziland will continue to speak on behalf of the ROC in international venues.