Bilateral meeting with His Excellency T.H. Russell Mmiso Dlamini, Prime Minister of Eswatini

Rome - Today the FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, met His Excellency T.H. Russell Mmiso Dlamini, Prime Minister of Eswatini, at FAO headquarters in Rome, on the backdrop of the Italy-Africa Summit held in Rome, Italy.

The Director-General welcomed the Prime Minister and thanked him for the longstanding support of Eswatini to FAO.

The Prime Minister thanked the Director-General and conveyed his appreciation for the meeting, together with the Director-General’s team.

The Prime Minister looked forward to increased collaboration with FAO for increased output and impact on the ground, including for increased technical support to improve agriculture in Eswatini. He stated that there was a need for comprehensive programs to transform agrifood systems and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the transformation, including through the allocation of increased financial resources.

The Prime Minister noted the need to strengthen mitigation of the impacts of the climate crisis through enhanced preparedness mechanisms. He further mentioned the challenges due to high unemployment and poverty in Eswatini and stated that these could only be defeated through effective agricultural projects. Finally, the Prime Minister noted that the country needed to increase its grain reserves as a cushion during periods of drought.

The Director-General acknowledged that political willingness is needed to achieve the SDGs through FAO’s aspiration of the Four Betters and reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to provide Eswatini with the comprehensive support needed. He stated that during his visit to Eswatini he had witnessed firsthand the great potential of the country in the agriculture sector.

The Director-General confirmed his commitment to continue strengthening the excellent relations, including by working through the FAO Investment Centre and through the FAO Hand in Hand initiative, as well as the One Country One Product (OCOP) Initiative to build international competitiveness.

The pair agreed to continue working collectively for agrifood systems transformation.