TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) expressed gratitude to Eswatini for supporting Taiwan in a video message released on Sunday.
Lai said that he and the Taiwanese public are “deeply moved and grateful” for the staunch support that the Eswatini King Mswati III and the Eswatini government have shown for Taiwan’s international participation, according to the Presidential Office.
The president reaffirmed Taiwan’s sovereignty and said that the Taiwanese have the right to engage with the world. “The stronger the external pressure we face, the more courage and determination we must show,” he said.
Taiwan will continue to strengthen its capabilities and advance in the international arena. “No country has the right to, nor should it, block our efforts to contribute to the world,” Lai said.
Lai likened the Swazi to family and pledged to overcome various challenges together. “Taiwan looks forward to working with Eswatini to exert greater influence on the international stage and contribute more to the world,” he added.
Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) arrived in Eswatini Saturday morning as a special envoy of the president. Lai was forced to postpone his trip after China forced Mauritius, the Seychelles, and Madagascar to revoke overflight permissions. The president was originally scheduled to visit Eswatini from last Wednesday to Monday.
