Maputo — Maputo, 26 Apr (AIM)) - Mozambique and Eswatini have agreed to step up their cooperation in energy, fuel and infrastructures.

They reached these agreements during an official visit by Mozambican President Daniel Chapo to Eswatini on Friday and Saturday, held during the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the coronation of Swazi king Mswati III, which coincided with his 58th birthday.

Chapo's visit served to deepen the economic relations between the two countries, particularly in the area of electricity.

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Currently Mozambique sells 30 megawatts of power to Eswatini, and the two countries are analysing the possibility of raising this to 100 megawatts, in the context of regional energy interdependence, and the growing Swazi demand for electricity.

Chapo said these discussions fall into Mozambique's strategy for economic diversification. "We talked about the transformation of our economy, which involves diversification', said the president, cited by the independent television station STV. "And in this diversification, we have concentrated on the question of energy'.

Chapo added that Eswatini is also interested in acquiring Mozambican natural gas, to support its industrialisation and to guarantee more stable sources of energy.

Chapo also stressed the importance of technical cooperation in agriculture and exchanging experiences in order to boost food security in Mozambique.

"Eswatini has experience in agriculture and we want to benefit from this experience to increase our own levels of production and productivity', he said.

Chapo and Mswati also discussed the possibility of building pipeline to carry fuel from the port of Maputo to Eswatini.