BY KING’S OFFICE CORRESPONDENTS
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN – His Majesty King Mswati III today invited State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and mining companies to invest in the Kingdom of Eswatini.
The King extended the invitation when he made a courtesy call to President Iiham Aliyev here ahead of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku in partnership with the United Nations Habitat.
His Majesty said the current global tensions, especially in the Middle East have affected the supply of fuel and other oil related products in the world including fertilizer. He said Azerbaijan as one of the leading countries in the oil and gas production is invited to consider investing in the fuel infrastructure and further supply fuel products in the African continent through the Kingdom of Eswatini.
“In Eswatini we are currently building a Strategic Oil Reserve, which will be able to store fuel for about two months, and we will be happy to partner with your companies in this project, in terms of supply. We can even go beyond just the storage facility and build an oil refinery in the long term. We believe as a country we are strategically placed to supply our Southern Africa region as we are surrounded by two big neighbours in South Africa and Mozambique in the east.
The King said Azerbaijan as an oil producing country can supply the Kingdom of Eswatini around 10 million barrels of oil per annum.
He said the country is looking forward to complete the construction of the Strategic Oil Reserve by 2028.
His Majesty the King further stated that the country is looking forward in welcoming Azerbaijan mining companies who may be interested in partnering with the kingdom.
In response, President Aliyev appreciated His Majesty the King’s invitation and tasked his ministers to look into such opportunities in mining and the oil refinery.
He said SACOR, which is a 100 per cent state owned company has subsidiary companies in Turkey and Italy and can explore the African market as well.
The President noted the global challenges which have affected the supply of fuel, fertilizer and other oils by products.
He noted His Majesty the King’s concerns around the unstable and fragile state of affairs in the region and hoped lasting solutions would be found.
The King had noted that the instability in the Middle East had created an unfortunate state of affairs and wished that the ongoing truce should transform into permanent stay.
The forum which began today until Friday will address crucial challenges, such as housing, land use, urban planning, governance and participation.
His Majesty the King who is accompanied by Inkhosikati LaMashwama at this global forum expressed his appreciation in joining other world leaders for this forum.
President Aliyev told the King that 182 countries are aprticipating at this global forum, making it one of the biggest summit to look at the state of housing, challenges affection housing, urban planning, governance and participation.
The King was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Pholile Shakantu, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Prince Lonkhokhela, Minister of ICT Savannah Maziya, Minister of Commerce Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo, the country’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan and Brussels Sibusisiwe Mngomezulu, King’s Private Secretary Mbongeni Simelane and Hhukwini MP Alec Lushaba.
ESWATINI LOOKING FORWARD TO SIGNING BILATERAL AGREEMENTS WITH AZERBAIJAN
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN – Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Pholile Shakantu says His Majesty the King will witness the signing of important bilateral agreements between the Kingdom of Eswatini and Azerbaijan this week.
This visit builds on previous trips that have provided valuable insights implemented in Eswatini.
The current visit focuses on enhancing cooperation in several key areas, including the fuel and oil industry, service delivery, and mining sectors. Minister Shakantu highlighted the significance of Azerbaijan’s ASAN Service Centre system, which integrates multiple government services for public access. In this context, ICT Minister Savannah Maziya will sign an agreement that supports Eswatini’s initiatives to improve service delivery, such as the Business One Stop Shop (BOSS) and the Government in Your Hand platform.
Additionally, a Cooperation Agreement between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and the Eswatini National Petroleum Company (ENPC) will be signed.
This Agreement seeks to strengthen collaboration in ensuring the security of petroleum product supply, exploring opportunities within the petroleum industry, and advancing capacity-building initiatives, which will support the Strategic Fuel Reserve that Eswatini is establishing.
The Minister of Natural Resources will engage in high-level discussions with AzerGold Closed Joint Stock Company to explore areas of cooperation in the mining sector.
The recent Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral Consultations, signed during the Comprehensive Consultations in 2023, established an institutional mechanism for regular engagement and consultation between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of both countries.
It provides a framework for reviewing all aspects of bilateral relations, holding regular political consultations, exchanging views on regional and international developments, promoting cooperation across political, economic, commercial, educational, and cultural spheres, facilitating technical exchanges and investment promotion, strengthening cooperation within multilateral organizations, and exploring new areas of strategic partnership.
This agreement lays the groundwork for a more structured and forward-looking partnership, reflecting the shared political commitment to enhancing bilateral engagement. Moving forward, there exists significant potential for both countries to deepen cooperation across various sectors in support of sustainable development, international collaboration, and mutual prosperity.
ABOUT AZERBAIJAN
The Republic of Azerbaijan is a transcontinental landlocked country at the boundary of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia’s Republic of Dagestan to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Turkey, via the exclave of Nakhchivan, and Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south.
Baku is the capital and largest city. Population is estimated at 10.3 million people and their currency is Manat.
WORLD URBAN FORUM
The World Urban Forum (WUF) was established in 2001 by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change, and policies.
Convened by UN‑Habitat, the Forum is a high‑level, open, and inclusive platform for addressing the challenges of sustainable urbanization
OBJECTIVES:
- Raising awareness of sustainable urbanisation among stakeholders and constituencies, including the general public;
- Enhancing collective knowledge on sustainable urban development through open and inclusive debate, the exchange of best practices and policies, and the sharing of lessons learnt;
- Promoting collaboration and cooperation among diverse stakeholders and constituencies involved in advancing and implementing sustainable urbanisation.
- In 2016, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development was held in Quito, Ecuador, where the New Urban Agenda was adopted in alignment with the objectives of the World Urban Forum.
