His Majesty King Mswati III has urged delegates attending the OACPS-EU conference to become ambassadors of Eswatini across the world.
Addressing delegates during a dinner hosted at the newly launched eZulwini Palazzo ICC on Monday night, the King said the Kingdom was ready to strengthen partnerships and open itself to international business, tourism and investment opportunities.
Speaking before delegates from the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union (EU), the monarch described Eswatini as a peaceful and welcoming nation that was eager to share its culture, stability and development ambitions with the world.
“We hope all those who are here will take the good things experienced here and be our ambassadors all over the world that Eswatini is ready to work with you,” said the King.
“We count on all of you that you will be able to spread the good news about the Kingdom of Eswatini.”
The King used the occasion to market the country as a destination for conferences, tourism and cultural experiences, while also highlighting the significance of the newly unveiled international conference centre.
He told delegates that the hosting of the OACPS-EU conference marked a historic milestone for the facility, saying it was the first major conference to be held at the new centre.
“We celebrated the launch of this new facility which is called eZulwini Palazzo. We are excited that the first ever conference to be held here is the OACPS and EU event,” he said.
The King said the facility would contribute significantly towards growing the country’s tourism sector and attracting international gatherings.
“This will support tourism in the country. People will come and host conferences,” he said.
The King further described the facility as a unique blend of “modernity and tradition”, saying it represented one of the country’s greatest national prides.
Delegates attending the dinner were treated to cultural performances and entertainment showcasing Swazi traditions, which the King said formed part of the country’s identity and hospitality.
He encouraged visitors to explore more of the country beyond the conference proceedings.
“We trust that away from the conference you can give yourself time and visit Eswatini. See eMaswati who are very humble and welcoming,” he said.
The monarch revealed that some delegates had already attended sporting and cultural activities during their stay, including a football match at Somhlolo national stadium where they experienced local culture firsthand.
The King also reflected on the significance of hosting the conference at relatively short notice after another African country was unable to host the gathering.
“We know that originally this conference was not meant to be here in Eswatini,” he said.
He explained that after unexpected challenges emerged for the initial host country, a decision was taken only last month to move the conference to Eswatini.
“And it was just last month that we decided that the conference must come to Eswatini,” he added.
His Majesty said the successful hosting of the event demonstrated the country’s ability to organise international gatherings and cooperate with global partners.
He further linked the country’s peace and stability to its development aspirations, saying Eswatini was currently celebrating 40 years of unity among emaSwati ever since he took over the throne.
“We are happy to see that for 40 years we have been together as emaSwati and the most important thing is that we have achieved peace and stability as a nation,” he said.
The King stressed that peace remained essential for global progress, especially at a time when the world was facing conflicts and environmental crises.
“The world is full of challenges. Conflicts in Africa, Middle East and Asia,” he said.
“We have global crisis and environmental issues that we need to deal with.”
According to the King, countries could only overcome such challenges through partnerships and peaceful coexistence.
“The most important thing that we must all remember is that when God created human beings he created them to live in peace with one another,” he said.
“As human beings of the world this is one of the recipes that we really need to promote amongst ourselves because when people live in peace there are a lot of results that we are able to achieve.”
His Majesty also praised the long-standing partnership between OACPS member states and the EU, saying the collaboration had delivered meaningful benefits to Eswatini and other developing countries.
“All the OACPS member states appreciate the support and partnership that we have created with the EU member states,” he said.
“With this partnership we have been able to secure grants and preferential markets.”
The King noted that EU-funded initiatives had positively impacted communities across the country.
“With the grants I have noted that in the four regions of the country people are now able to feed their families,” he said.
“And it is all because of the EU partnership. We are very much grateful for all the support that you have shown.”
His Majesty also touched on employment creation, saying one of the country’s priorities was to develop opportunities for young people and various industries.
“One of our priorities as a country is to be able to develop job opportunities in the different industries,” he said.
He further acknowledged the importance of regional and international cooperation in achieving development goals.
“We know that each country can never achieve things on its own. It relies on neighbours and other countries in the region,” he said.
Meanwhile, the King also welcomed efforts to improve and preserve the OACPS headquarters in Belgium.
He revealed that member states had raised at least 40 million euros towards the initiative after concerns were raised about the state of the headquarters.
“We give assurance tonight that they will not be the ones looking after the headquarters alone,” he said.
The OACPS-EU 1st AAfrica-EU Parliamentary Assembly continues today at the newly opened conference facility in Ezulwini.
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