New Delhi [India], July 16 (ANI): Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita will pay an official visit to Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa from July 18-25, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the MEA, MoS Margherita will visit Eswatini and Lesotho from July 18-22, 2025, and South Africa from July 23-25.

During his visit to Eswatini, MoS Margherita is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on King Mswati III and the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Eswatini. He is expected to hold a meeting with the Foreign Minister of Eswatini to discuss matters of mutual interest and to review the progress of bilateral relations. The visit will focus on strengthening cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, capacity building, development partnership and people-to-people exchanges.

As per the MEA, he will also engage with the Indian diaspora and participate in events highlighting India's development partnership initiatives in Eswatini. The visit is expected to further enhance the longstanding and friendly relations between India and the Kingdom of Eswatini.

In Lesotho, MoS Margherita is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on King Letsie III, and the Samuel Matekane, Prime Minister of Kingdom of Lesotho.

MoS will also have a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations.

According to the MEA, he is expected to meet with the Minister of Information, Communications, Science, Technology, and Innovation; the Minister of Education and Training; and the Minister of Labour and Employment in Maseru.

Significantly, this Ministerial visit to Lesotho comes after a gap of 10 years following the first-ever Ministerial visit from India to Lesotho by the then Minister of State (IC) Culture, Tourism & MoS for Civil Aviation, Dr Mahesh Sharma, on July 9, 2015 as Special Envoy of Prime Minister to deliver invitations for the 3rd India-Africa Forum Summit to the leadership of the Government of Lesotho.

Notably, in South Africa, MoS Margherita will lead a delegation to participate in the upcoming G-20 Development Ministerial Meetings (DMM) on July 24-25 in Skukuza, South Africa and is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with the South African Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Maropene Lydia Ramokgopa and other Ministers responsible for Development and Heads of Delegations of other G20 Members, invited countries and International Organizations participating in the DMM.

MoS Margherita is also expected to have bilateral engagements and interactions with prominent leaders of businesses and members of the Indian community in Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa. (ANI)