King off to global diplomatic visit

MANZINI – His Majesty King Mswati III yesterday left the country through the King Mswati III International Airport for a major international diplomatic mission expected to strengthen Eswatini’s global partnerships, economic cooperation and development agenda through high-level engagements in Azerbaijan, India and the United Arab Emirates.

The King, accompanied by Inkhosikati LaMashwama, departed ahead of a series of international summits that are expected to shape global discussions on urban development, trade, technology, investment and Africa’s future economic partnerships.

One of the key highlights of the royal visit is the upcoming 13^th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from May 17 to 22. The global gathering, organised by UN-Habitat, is regarded as the world’s premier conference on sustainable urbanisation and housing policy.

This year’s forum will run under the theme: “Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities”, with global leaders, city planners, development institutions, researchers and investors expected to discuss practical solutions to the growing global housing crisis.

The forum comes at a time when the United Nations estimates that nearly three billion people globally live in inadequate housing conditions, while urban populations continue to expand rapidly due to economic migration and population growth.

Discussions at the summit are expected to focus heavily on climate-resilient infrastructure, affordable housing, smart cities, public transport systems, land management, urban governance and financing sustainable cities. Experts attending the forum are also expected to deliberate on how governments can build resilient urban centres capable of withstanding climate disasters, economic shocks and rising population pressures.

For Eswatini, participation at the forum could open opportunities for cooperation in urban planning, housing development, smart infrastructure systems and climate adaptation financing as the country continues to modernise its towns and cities.

The Baku summit is also expected to produce the ‘Baku Call to Action’, a policy framework that will contribute towards implementation of the United Nations New Urban Agenda on sustainable cities and communities. Following the Azerbaijan engagement, His Majesty is expected in New Delhi, India, for the Fourth India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-IV), scheduled for May 28 to 31.

The summit is regarded as one of the biggest diplomatic gatherings involving African nations this year and marks the return of the India-Africa Forum after an 11-year break.

The India-Africa Forum Summit will bring together African Heads of State, ministers, business executives, policymakers and representatives of the African Union Commission to discuss expanding economic and strategic cooperation between India and Africa.

The summit will be held under the theme: “IA SPIRIT: India Africa Strategic Partnership for Innovation, Resilience and Inclusive Transformation.”

According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the summit seeks to strengthen collaboration in areas such as trade, infrastructure, agriculture, health, pharmaceuticals, technology, artificial intelligence, energy, education and defence cooperation.

Several preparatory meetings are expected ahead of the main summit, including a Senior Officials Meeting on May 28 and the India-Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on May 29. Business exhibitions, innovation forums and investment dialogues are also expected to take place alongside the summit.

The summit comes amid increasing global competition for economic partnerships and investment opportunities across the African continent, particularly in infrastructure development, energy, digital transformation and industrial growth.

Africa’s growing population, mineral wealth, renewable energy potential and strategic trade routes have increasingly positioned the continent as one of the most important regions for future global investment and industrial expansion.

India is expected to use the summit to deepen development cooperation with African countries through increased investment, technical support, digital transformation initiatives and infrastructure partnerships.

The King’s expected visit to the United Arab Emirates is also viewed as strategically important, particularly as the UAE continues to position itself as a major investment gateway linking Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

The UAE has significantly expanded its investments across Africa in sectors such as logistics, renewable energy, ports, aviation, artificial intelligence and infrastructure financing.

Eswatini is expected to benefit from stronger cooperation in investment attraction, technology partnerships, trade access and infrastructure financing through strengthened diplomatic relations with the Gulf state.

The international engagements are expected to reinforce Eswatini’s diplomatic visibility on the global stage while also creating opportunities for investment partnerships, technology transfer, skills development and economic cooperation as the country continues pursuing sustainable development and international collaboration.