KINGDOM OF ESWATINI
SPEECH BY
HIS MAJESTY KING MSWATI III, DURING THE CELEBRATION ON THE OCCASION OF NATIONAL DAY OF THE STATE OF QATAR HELD AT ROYAL SWAZI SUN CONVENTION CENTRE 18th DECEMBER 2019
YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESSES,
YOUR EXCELLENCY THE AMBASSADOR OF THE STATE OF QATAR, AHMED TAJER AL-SADA,
COUNCILLORS,
CHIEFS,
CHIEF JUSTICE,
CABINET MINISTERS,
PRESIDING OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT,
YOUR EXCELLENCIES MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS,
REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE HHOHHO REGION,
MEMBERS OF THE QATAR COMMUNITY PRESENT HERE TODAY,
MAYOR AND CITY COUNCILLORS OF EZULWINI,
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
SIYANIVUSELA NONKHE BEKUNENE LAPHA EZULWINI – GOOD EVENING
PREAMBLE
I HAVE BEEN COMMANDED BY HIS MAJESTY KING MSWATI III TO REPRESENT HIM AT THIS NATIONAL DAY RECEPTION OF THE STATE OF QATAR AND I SHALL READ HIS SPEECH ACCORDINGLY.
INTRODUCTION
IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO JOIN YOU ALL HERE THIS EVENING, TO CELEBRATE THE NATIONAL DAY OF THE STATE OF QATAR.
THIS DAY SIGNIFIES A GREAT MILESTONE IN THE HISTORY OF THE PEOPLE OF A COUNTRY BUILT ON THE STRONG FOUNDATION LAID BY THE LATE SHEIKH JASIM BIN MOHAMMED AL THANI ON THIS DAY 141 YEARS AGO.
THIS WISE LEADERSHIP AND FORESIGHT OF THE SHEIKH AND THAT OF HIS SUCCESSOR , COUPLED WITH THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE OF QATAR , HAVE GALVANISED THIS COUNTRY INTO THE GREAT NATION THAT WE ARE HERE TO CELEBRATE TODAY.
WE CONGRATULATE THE SHEIKH, THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF QATAR FOR THE UNITY AND SHARED VISION THAT HAS SEEN THE COUNTRY OVERCOME CHALLENGES TO DEVELOP INTO ONE OF THE MOST MODERN STATES OF THE WORLD.
IT IS THIS STRONG RESOLVE THAT SHOULD CONTINUE TO GUIDE YOUR COUNTRY IN ALL ITS ENDEAVOURS. THE KINGDOM OF ESWATINI URGES DIALOGUE AND A PEACEFUL RESOLVE TO THE NEW CHALLENGES THAT FACE QATAR TODAY AND THE ARABIAN GULF.
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS ,LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE KINGDOM OF ESWATINI AND THE STATE OF QATAR HAVE ENJOYED A STRONG BOND OF FRIENDSHIP SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OUR DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS IN 2002.
WE TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE GOVERNMENT OF QATAR FOR EXTENDING VARUIOUS FORMS OF SUPPORT THAT HAVE MADE A SIGNIFICANT CONTIBUTION IN SEVERAL SECTORS OF OUR ECONOMY THROUGH THE JOINT COOPERATION BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES.
OUR PURSUIT OF THE ASPIRATIONS CONTAINED IN OUR NATIONAL VISION 2022 WOULD BE IN VAIN WITHOUT THE INPUT OF OUR BILATERAL FRIENDS AND DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS.
AS THIS FRIENDSHIP GROWS, WE LOOK FORWARD TO INCREASED PARTNERSHIP IN TERMS OF TRADE WHICH OFFERS GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR BOTH COUNTRIES.
AS A MEMBER COUNTRY OF THE RECENTLY LAUNCHED AFRICAN CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AREA, ESWATINI SERVES AN IDEAL LOCATION FOR QATAR INVESTORS TO SET UP AS A BASE FOR ACCESS INTO THE AFRICAN MARKET – THE WORLD’S LARGEST SINGLE MARKET.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE STATE OF QATAR IS ON THE VERGE OF HOSTING ONE OF THE BIGGEST TOURNAMENTS IN THE WORLD - THE 2022 WORLD CUP. WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST AS YOU PUT THE FINAL TOUCHES TO YOUR PREPARATIONS.
FROM WHAT WE HAVE SEEN THUS FAR, WE HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE PEOPLE FROM CORNERS OF THE GLOBE ARE TO WITNESS A REMARKABLY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO EMASWATI FLYING OUT OF THE KING MSWATI III INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO QATAR FOR THIS EVENT AND BRINGING BACK MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES FROM THEIR VISIT. OUR AIRPORT AT SIKHUPHE OFFERS A GREAT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY FOR QATAR AIRWAYS TO EXPLORE PRIOR TO AND BEYOND THIS EVENT.
CONCLUSION
YOUR EXCELLENCY, AS I CONCLUDE LET ME TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ONCE AGAIN THANK THE QATAR GOVERNMENT FOR THE WARM AND CORDIAL RELATIONS THAT HAPPILY EXIST BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES AND FOR THE NUMEROUS FORMS OF SUPPORT THAT WE CONTINUE TO RECEIVE FROM YOUR COUNTRY.
TOAST
AT THIS JUNCTURE, MAY I INVITE YOU ALL TO CHARGE YOUR GLASSES AND JOIN ME IN PROPOSING A TOAST:
TO THE LONG AND HEALTHY LIFE OF THE EMIR HIS HIGHNESS TAMIN BIN HAMAD LA THANI, FOR THE CONTINUED PROSPERITY OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF QATAR AND ALSO TO THE WARM AND CORDIAL RELATIONS THAT HAPPILY EXIST BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES. MAY THEY GROW FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH.
SIYINQABA!!!!!
I THANK YOU, MAY THE ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS US ALL