Mbabane – Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini met with Ambassador Nicolaus Marschik, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria, on Tuesday evening for talks centred on Austria’s emerging Africa Strategy and opportunities for deeper cooperation with Eswatini.
The Prime Minister said the engagement was both constructive and forward-looking, with Austria expressing willingness to partner with Eswatini in areas including social programmes, women’s empowerment and the transfer of skills and technology.
“These are not abstract priorities; they speak directly to the lived realities of our people and the future we are working to build,” Dlamini said.
The Prime Minister told his Austrian counterpart that Eswatini’s contribution to such partnerships must be grounded in practical experience, particularly in ensuring that the country’s natural resources deliver tangible benefits for emaSwati through local investment, value addition and beneficiation.
The two sides also discussed Eswatini’s drive towards energy self-sufficiency by 2028 through a diversified energy mix, as well as efforts to strengthen food sovereignty by expanding storage capacity and supporting farmers to scale up production.
On human capital development, Dlamini said the government is advancing plans to establish industrial parks anchored by vocational training institutions, an area where he sees strong potential for collaboration with Austria, including through regional initiatives.
“We appreciate the Republic of Austria’s strong interest in partnering with Eswatini and look forward to a collaboration anchored in mutual benefit and a shared commitment to national development,” Dlamini said.
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