Taipei, Oct. 18 (CNA) King Mswati III of Eswatini, Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in Africa, will be visiting Taiwan later this week for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic erupted and the 18th time overall, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced Tuesday.
King Mswati III will be arriving in Taiwan on Thursday, MOFA said in a statement, but it did not disclose how long the king and his delegation will stay.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) will welcome King Mswati III with a military salute and host a state banquet, and the king and his delegation will also meet with Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), MOFA said in a press release.
The king will be accompanied by Queen Inkhosikati LaMashwama, Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Thulisile Dladla, Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg and Commerce, Industry and Trade Minister Manqoba Khumalo.
The king and his delegation will also be in contact with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and hold a business seminar to help attract potential Taiwanese investors to the African kingdom.
Other activities scheduled are a visit to the Taoyuan refinery of state-run oil company CPC Corp. and a meeting with Eswatini students in Taiwan, MOFA said.
The upcoming trip marks King Mswati III's 18th trip to Taiwan since taking the throne in 1986 but the first since the COVID-19 pandemic erupted around the world. He last visited Taiwan in June 2018.
The two countries have maintained close ties since diplomatic relations were established in 1968, according to MOFA.
The African kingdom has always being a strong supporter of Taiwan's efforts to gain meaningful participation in the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the International Civil Aviation Organization, it said.
