The Ambassador of the Republic of South Korea, Mr. Chull-Joo Park and the Ambassador of Portugal, Mr. Manuel Maria Camacho Cansado Carvalho paid a courtesy call to Prime Minister, Mr. Ntsokoane Samuel Matekane at the State House on Thursday
In an interview, Mr. Park said Lesotho is his second home saying he had a chance to travel outside Maseru and he enjoyed the place.
He noted that Lesotho has great potential and the Republic of Korea is willing to materialize the potential by making Lesotho green.
He mentioned that he attended the prime minister’s inauguration and was impressed by his vision for Lesotho thus the development of the economy and education and training, especially for youth.
He stressed that he is in the process of discussing the key priorities of Lesotho, saying implementation will follow.
Also speaking in an interview, the Ambassador of Portugal, Mr. Carvalho said the purpose of his call was to bid farewell to the Prime Minister as his term is ending soon.
He said he had a broad conversion that benefits both countries, saying they discussed issues relating to the development of the economy and politics.
He further noted that they talked about both countries’ general challenges and their way forward, saying they have projects in the pipeline.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Mr. Lejone Mpotjoane said the main purpose of courtesy calls was to renew the bilateral relationship between Lesotho and these countries.
Talking of the Republic of Korea Ambassador’s visit, Mr. Mpotjoane said South Korea will be hosting Expo 2030 and therefore appealed for Lesotho’s support, saying South Korea is facing tough competition from Italy, Ukraine, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“It is worth noting that the Korean Government has already dispatched a private sector delegation led by the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, Mr. Jong Hee Han to Lesotho in August 2022 with the same objective of soliciting support from the Government of Lesotho for the aforementioned Expo,” he said.
He noted that the Prime Minister mentioned the prospect of incorporating big electronics companies from the Republic of Korea in factory shells in Lesotho as one of the pillars of direct foreign investment.
He added that South Korea had expressed interest in investing in the rehabilitation of the Moshoeshoe I International Airport and encouraged the Ambassador to liaise with the Ministry of Public Works for further engagement.
He said Portugal excels in renewable energy, saying Lesotho buys electricity from South Africa and Mozambique therefore Portugal can assist Lesotho in producing enough electricity for its people and sell electricity to neighbouring countries.
He added that Portugal is good at football and that they also have a soccer academy in South Africa, saying the government of Lesotho will be delighted if some of Basotho’s youth are taken to the academy to enhance their skills.
Portugal is an active member of the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) and has contributed to UN peacekeeping missions in Africa.
Formal diplomatic relations between Lesotho and South Korea were established in 1966. Since then, the two countries have enjoyed warm and cordial relations characterized by mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
