The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee today (March 10, 2017) received His Majesty King Mswati-III of Swaziland at Rashtrapati Bhavan and hosted a lunch in his honour.

Welcoming the King, the President recalled their last meeting when the King visited India in October 2015 to participate in the India-Africa Forum Summit. The President said India and Swaziland traditionally enjoy a friendly and co-operative relationship. India values its friendship with Swaziland. India appreciates the support that Swaziland has consistently extended to India in multilateral forums. India has been happy to partner Swaziland in its development through scholarships and capacity-building.

The President said he was delighted to know that the Royal Science and Technology Park is now near completion. It is a symbol of the King’s progressive vision and commitment to the development of Swaziland. Another collaborative project for enhancing maize productivity has had very good results. Potentially, this project will help Swaziland become self-reliant in maize.

The President said India offers Swaziland a large market, affordable technologies and finance. He called upon the King to create conditions to attract Indian investments in areas of interest of Swaziland. The President also assured him that India would be happy to assist Swaziland achieve its developmental goals.

Reciprocating the President’s sentiments, King Mswati said India’s expertise was very valuable for the countries of Africa and they are grateful to India for its willingness to transfer the same.

This release issued at 1515 hrs.