April 12, 2015
No. 064
Minister of Agriculture of the Kingdom of Swaziland Moses Vilakati will visit the Republic of China (Taiwan) with Mrs. Vilakati from April 12 to 16, 2015.
Minister Vilakati will call at the Council of Agriculture, the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) and National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, as well as visit Taoyuan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, Tungkang Biotechnology Research Center of the Fisheries Research Institute, Taiwan Room Temperature Drying and Manufacturing Incorporation, Fang-feng Aquaculture Farm, the National Palace Museum, and Taipei 101. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon S. Y. Ko will host a luncheon in their honor.
Minister Vilakati, who was elected as a member of parliament and appointed Minister of Agriculture in 2013, works closely with the ROC Embassy and Taiwan Technical Mission in Swaziland. This, his first, visit to Taiwan will provide him with the opportunity to gain a better understanding of agricultural and aquaculture development here, which will serve as a useful point of reference when carrying out his duties back in Swaziland.
Swaziland and the ROC have enjoyed close and cordial relations since 1968. Bilateral cooperation in such areas as agriculture, health, and capacity building has produced substantial results over the years. In the international arena, meanwhile, the Swazi government firmly and frequently supports Taiwan’s efforts to participate meaningfully in the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the International Civil Aviation Organization. (E)