Swaziland king due in RP on Sunday for 2-day visit

MANILA, Philippines - Swaziland King Mswati III will arrive in Manila on Sunday for a two-day state visit, the first by a Swazi King, Malacañang announced Thursday. A Palace statement said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will meet the King on Monday to discuss new areas of cooperation, including trade and higher education, as well as initiatives in the international arena. She will host a state banquet in His Majesty's honor on the same day, the Palace said. "The state visit is expected to yield agreements on economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation, and lead to the establishment of a bilateral consultative mechanism between the Philippines and Swaziland," the Palace statement said. It added greater opportunities for trade and investment will also be explored during the King's meeting with prominent Filipino and Swazi businessmen. Before arriving in Manila, King Mswati will travel to Cebu and Bohol on a private visit. Accompanying him are his 13th wife, Inkhosikati Lankhambule, his 23rd daughter Princess Buhlebetive, his brother Prince Lonkhokhela and his sister Princess Msindvose. Other members the king's delegation include the chief of the Swazi Royal Court, Chief Maphokela Shabalala, and Swazi Foreign Minister Moses Mathendele Dlamini. Swaziland is a landlocked kingdom in Southern Africa with a population of 1.2 million. It maintains close diplomatic ties with the Philippines. - GMANews.TV