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PIGG’S PEAK – Leader of Eswatini’s Permanent Mission to Switzerland, Ambassador Vuyile Dlamini joined two important meetings in Geneva yesterday.
In one of the meetings, Botswana President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, was to make a formal address.
The first meeting which started around 8am was with African ambassadors in Switzerland, following the arrival of the Bostwana president this past weekend. President Masisi was in Switzerland on a State visit at the invitation of the Swiss Confederation President, Alain Berset.
Dlamini was then invited alongside other African ambassadors to take part in a presidential lecture delivered by President Masisi.
“I can confirm that President Masisi is in Switzerland. He arrived in Bern, which is the capital of Switzerland, and we are meeting at 11:30am for a World Trade Organisation (WTO) presidential lecture. I will be part of that meeting.”
He said they had been invited as African ambassadors by the director of WTO and the ambassador of Botswana. The lecture will focus on issues relevant to the African continent,” said Dlamini.
Crucial
The Eswatini ambassador also said the Bostwana leader’s lecture touched on crucial topics such as; ‘What Africa expects from the WTO multilateral trading system and how the organisation (WTO) can best deliver meaningful impact on the continent of Africa’.
“This is the conference at which we had been invited to attend as a permanent mission of Eswatini in Geneva. We are keen on what the president would say on this lecture as you are aware that Botswana is one of the fastest growing economies in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), in particular,” he said.
Dlamini said Botswana was able to swiftly transition from a low-income economy to a middle-income status, where they integrated on issues of global relations.
“We are also meeting African ambassadors to look at issues of countries such as Sudan, where we are getting updates because when there is a crisis in a country that has escalated to such a level that the international community is intervening, we must keep updated on what is happening as it impacts on all of us,” he said.
According to a Bostwana press release, Dr Masisi departed on April 29 and the visit was expected to conclude today. President Masisi will, thereafter, pay a working visit to the United Kingdom, where he will attend the coronation of King Charles III on May 6, and hold bilateral talks with the President of Estonia, Alar Karis.
According to the press release President Masisi’s visit to Switzerland follows the State visit to Botswana by President Berset in February, where the two Heads of State explored ways of strengthening bilateral relations between their countries.
“Building on the February visit, the two presidents are expected to sign the Declaration of Intent on Enhanced Bilateral Cooperation, to boost cooperation in areas of trade and investment, hospitality, education, arts and culture, and agriculture,” reads the statement.
It further states that President Masisi’s other engagements in Switzerland will include a round table discussion on democracy at the University of Fribourg.
Dr Masisi is accompanied by the First Lady, Neo Masisi and some senior government officials. He is expected to return to Gaborone on May 8.