By Phiwa Sikhondze
Eswatini Prime Minister, Russell Dlamini, has sought European support for developing clean energy sources and achieving energy self-sufficiency. The Premier made the appeal at the Italy-Africa Summit in Rome, Italy.
The Italy-Africa Summit is an initiative of the International Trade Centre (ITC), which aims to promote and develop constructive dialogue, new partnerships, and strong cooperation between Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, with Italy taking on the role of host nation.
The summit is held under the theme: “Creating a better present and building a greater future together for Africa: the role of healthcare and investments,” which resonates with many of the aspirations of Eswatini.
The Prime Minister, who represented His Majesty King Mswati III and the nation, delivered an address during the Energy Security and Transition session, which focused on the challenges and opportunities of the energy sector in Africa and the role of Europe in supporting the energy transition.
The Prime Minister shared on his Facebook page that he highlighted Eswatini’s aspiration to be energy self-sustaining, and to generate enough power to attract significant investments in many sectors and industries, as well as to be a net exporter of energy.
“We highlighted our desire to pursue clean methods of generating power and called on potential European partners to support us in fully exploiting these platforms. Our end goal concerning energy security is to generate enough power to attract significant investments in many sectors and industries as well as to be a net exporter of energy. It is such investments that will grow our economy and bring sustainable jobs for emaSwati,” he said.
He further expressed his desire to pursue clean methods of generating power and called on potential European partners to support Eswatini in fully exploiting these platforms. Dlamini emphasized Eswatini’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 5% in 2030.
On another note, Dlamini shared his hope that the Italy-Africa Summit will renew and strengthen the strong relationship that exists between Eswatini and Italy, further opening up more opportunities for investment and support to develop and improve the lives of emaSwati.