Mbabane – The Kingdom of Eswatini and the European Union will on Friday hold their 3rd Partnership Dialogue at the Hilton Hotel in Mbabane, with discussions expected to cover trade, human rights, digital policy and regional geopolitics.
The dialogue begins at 8:30am, with opening remarks expected from EU Ambassador H.E. Karsten Mecklenburg and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Pholile Shakantu.
The agenda covers seven broad areas involving multiple government ministries. These include an update on geopolitics, specifically challenges to the rules-based international order including conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as continental and regional issues touching on Eswatini’s role in bodies such as the African Union Peace and Security Council, SADC and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States.
Trade and investment relations will also feature prominently, with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade set to present Eswatini’s investment climate and perspectives for EU-Eswatini trade against the backdrop of recent international developments.
Consular matters, the Universal Periodic Review under the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, and the framework and support for NGOs and civil society under the Ministry of Home Affairs are also among the scheduled discussion points.
The dialogue will further include a session on science, technology and digital data policy, during which the EU is expected to present tools for academic and scientific cooperation, including the Erasmus programme, alongside a Team Europe Initiative supporting the development of an African Digital Single Market.
The meeting is expected to close with a press release and confirmation of the date for the next Partnership Dialogue.
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