MBABANE – Mozambique’s new president, Daniel Chapo, met with His Majesty King Mswati III on Monday to bolster the strategic partnership between the two neighbouring states, with discussions centred on energy, infrastructure, and trade.
The meeting in Lozitha, which was President Chapo’s first state visit since his inauguration, aimed to deepen the historic relations between Eswatini and Mozambique.
Following a private meeting between the two leaders and talks between their national delegations, President Chapo stated that the discussions took place in an atmosphere of “great friendship, openness and cordiality.” He also had an audience with the Queen Mother, Ntfombi Tfwala.
“It was a unique moment, where we received the teachings of a mother to her son on how we should continue to cultivate and cement the friendship between Eswatini and Mozambique,” President Chapo said.
A key decision from the talks was the reactivation of the Joint Cooperation Commission between the two countries. Its fourth session is now scheduled to take place in Maputo in the coming days.
Proposals for the joint exploration of natural gas and the development of pipelines for export to neighbouring countries, including Eswatini, were a central part of the economic talks. “We spoke about the need to work at the level of the development corridor,” President Chapo noted.
His Majesty King Mswati III congratulated President Chapo on his election and commended him for visiting so early in his term.
“We are happy that as soon as you took office as the new President of Mozambique, you found space in your work programme to come and visit us,” the King said. “We are neighbours, we share a lot in common… there is always something new that we learn from each other.”
Both leaders spoke of the need for government to create a favourable environment for the private sector to combat unemployment. His Majesty King Mswati III said he was pleased to learn of a meeting between business leaders from both Mozambique and Eswatini, encouraging deeper commercial cooperation.
The strategic role of the Port of Maputo for Eswatini was also part of the conversation.
Technical teams from both nations have been instructed to begin implementing the decisions made, with plans for regular annual meetings to monitor the progress of joint projects.
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