BELGRADE: His Majesty King Mswati lll rounded off a four-day state visit to Serbia where President Aleksandar Vučić welcomed him with the highest state honours complete with a red carpet, a Royal Guard of honour to the tune of the two countries’ anthems in front of the Palace of Serbia.
At a state dinner hosted by the Serbian President, the two leaders undertook to strengthen an increasingly important relationship between that should also focus on increased trade and cooperation in various fields. To that end, they signed six bilateral agreements on trade and investment, science and innovation, tourism, ICT, development of Large Language Models (LLMs) and generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Siswati and education.
One of the most important elements of the Kingdom’s relationship with Serbia is access by Swati students to quality European higher education. Serbia is promoting this particular aspect by offering scholarships for emaSwati students in a range of critical technical subjects and expertise.
EmaSwati students from various Serbia universities resplendent in their national dress turned up at a reception hosted by Eswatini ambassador to the European Union Sibusisiwe Mngomezulu. The King used the opportunity to express gratitude to his hosts, especially for the support in the education.
“Use the opportunity you have received productively and know that we are waiting for you when you are done with your studies. The Kingdom of Eswatini aims to achieve First World status, and we expect you to come back and hit the ground running,” the king urged the students.
Though two countries away from Ukraine to its north-east, Swazi students rushed to Serbia to flee from the outbreak of the Ukraine-Russia conflict in 2022. The King expressed his gratitude for their safety.
“We also appreciate the support of the Serbian Government, who helped us to move some of you when trapped in the war in Ukraine. We are happy for your safety,” the King said.
During a visit to a Research and Development Institute for Information Technology in Biosystems, the Biosense Institute and the Novi Sad Science and Innovation ParkHis Majesty King Mswati III praised Serbia as an advanced economy and as an important reference point for the Kingdom’s own aspirations.
Serbia, he said, would be an important to bridge for the country’s digital gap. “We hope to return in the near future so we can share ideas on how we can set up similar institutions in Eswatini which would also help strengthen relations and increase exchange programmes between our two countries.”
The King’s state visit follows an invitation in July delivered by Tamara Vucic, Spouse of the President of Serbia who presented a special message from President Vucic to the King.
During her visit she also met her Majesty the Queen Mother and expressed her gratitude for the Kingdom’s support for Serbia’s national interests.
At subsequent meetings with both the King and Queen Mother, the two countries underlined their commitment to mutual support in international organizations. The President’s Spouse also included an invitation to the specialized exhibition EXPO 2027 in Belgrade.
Eswatini and Serbia signed a joint communique that established formal diplomatic relations in 1990, though they shared similar international policy positions in the Non-Aligned Movement since Eswatini independence in 1968.
Serbia and Eswatini are linked in a 125-year old extradition agreement Serbia signed with the United Kingdom on 6 December 1900 that by default applied to Eswatini.
Relations have warmed up since 2019 when Serbia sent its First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time I. Dačić to meet the Eswatini Government. The visit was reciprocated the same year by the Speaker of the House of Assembly Petros Mavimbela who led a delegation to the 141st session of the Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union held in Belgrade in October 2019.
The King will now proceed to Samoa, for the Commonwealth Heads Summit.
Jm/today/22.10.2024
