BAKU, AZERBAIJAN – Foreign Affairs Minister Pholile Shakantu has called upon emaSwati to fully embrace His Majesty’s First World Vision and to expedite the long‑term plans he has for the country.
Speaking in an interview after the King’s visit to SOCAR, the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic, she noted that the fruitful talks marked a positive step towards the realisation of yet another mega First World project initiated by His Majesty many years ago.
“Our major setback is procrastination towards these projects, which has resulted in many years of delay. Unfortunately, these have come at a huge cost to the country due to price escalations.
“Let us not have our own side visions that are not aligned to the King’s vision. I have no doubt that if we had acted earlier and completed all the major projects soon after conception by His Majesty, the story of the country’s growth and development over the past 40 years would have been a whole lot different,” she noted.
Welcoming the productive engagement between the King and SOCAR, Minister Shakantu said the country must now find the right skills for the petroleum industry.
“There is a skills gap in the petroleum industry, which needs highly qualified emaSwati to help the country develop its master plan. This needs people who understand what it takes to succeed and who have good negotiation skills for this competitive environment.
“We need to take full advantage of the opportunity presented by the oil school that has opened its doors to enrolling emaSwati in the near future. It is such institutions that provide training on how to manage such facilities and maintain them at a very high standard. If there is one thing that emaSwati are good at, it is setting high standards.”
“Eswatini excels in managing industries that adhere to high standards of operation. This is evident in our sugar industry, meat processing, water services, textiles, and more. Our commitment to implementing and maintaining these high standards positions us uniquely, even as we venture into the petroleum sector,” she said.
The minister is confident that as the country embarks on this new chapter, it will be recognized among the best in the industry in the coming years.
“To facilitate this progress, our focus at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to secure strategic partnerships with countries and companies that are leaders in the petroleum field. We acknowledge that we currently face a shortage of skilled personnel in this specialty area.
“Therefore, we are actively engaging with SOCAR to facilitate the enrollment of EmaSwati at their training institution, ensuring that our workforce is well-prepared to meet industry demands,’ said the minister.
Shakantu frther extended her appreciation to Ambassador Sibusisiwe Mngomezulu for his exceptional efforts in facilitating all the high-level meetings that have taken place. She said his dedication and commitment have been pivotal in advancing our diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan.
“I also want to recognize and commend the hard work of the Foreign Affairs team. Their diligence in negotiating agreements with their counterparts here in Azerbaijan has not gone unnoticed. Their collaborative efforts, coupled with the support of the office of the Attorney General and the line ministries, have played an important role in ensuring that our trip is productive and fruitful,” she said.
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