​(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Tuesday, 20 December 2016), met with Kingdom of Swaziland Prime Minister Dr. Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini; the two leaders last met at the UN General Assembly this past September. The Swazi Prime Minister is visiting Israel accompanied by Swazi Agriculture Minister Moses Vilakati.
 
Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his appreciation for Swazi King Mswati III's warm regards and admiration for Israel.
 
The two leaders discussed the expansion of bilateral cooperation in the fields of water, education, agriculture, health and security; the foregoing is in the context of the expansion of Israel's links with Africa and the deepening of relations with African countries. The two men also discussed the arrival of an Israeli delegation to examine the enhancement of the aforesaid cooperation with emphasis on training in the health sphere.
 
The two Prime ministers spoke at the beginning of their meeting:
 
Prime Minister Netanyahu:
 
[English]
 
"We have a solid friendship and a desire to cooperate even more. This is part of 'Israel's return to Africa', we call it. But we know that in our relations there was never a downturn, there was never a relapse and I want to thank you and the Government of Swaziland over the years for the constancy of our friendship. So welcome to Jerusalem.
 
You come at a difficult time, not here, but in Europe. There were deadly attacks yesterday in Ankara in which the Russian ambassador was killed. When you murder a diplomat, this is the height of terror. There appears to be a terrorist attack also in Germany where German citizens were killed and an Israeli citizen was gravely wounded. We send our condolences to the Government of Germany and to the families of the people that were killed and we wish a speedy recovery to the wounded. We will win this fight against the terrorists and together we will win it faster."
 
The Prime Minister added:
 
[Translated from the Hebrew]
 
"Israel condemns what appears to be a terrorist attack in Germany. We send our condolences to the families of the people that were killed and, of course, to the Government of Germany, and we wish a speedy recovery to the wounded, including an Israeli citizen. This attack joins [other] reprehensible attacks; terror is spreading everywhere and can be stopped only if we fight it, and we will defeat it, but we will defeat it much quicker if all free nations under attack unite."
 
Swazi Prime Minister Dlamini:
 
"We are very pleased to be here again and to renew our partnership. And we are very pleased to see the country developing. You have many skills that we need in Swaziland and we hope that during our discussions we will focus on those skills."
 
The Swazi Prime Minister added:
 
"And about the events of yesterday, it's quite a reminder that we have to be united, and our condolences to our Russian colleagues, also German colleagues. It's a reminder that we have to be united in the world and our condolences to you especially representing the Israeli government. And we have that whoever was injured speedy recovery."