First of all, please allow me to pay my respects to:
Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations Lejone Mpotjoane,
His Excellency Principal Secretary Thabang Lekhela,
Her Excellency Deputy Principal Secretary Masilo Motsamai,
Dear colleagues and friends from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations,

It is truly a pleasure to be with colleagues from the Foreign Ministry again today. I would like to thank the co-organizers of the Ministry and the embassy for making this event possible. Once again, the spirit of cooperation between our two institutions is demonstrated. The same spirit has been guiding us on our daily communications, on our serious conversations, on important international relations, as well as on our major projects. I am confident that the spirit will be continued in the following year.

I congratulate the winners of all games and of the lucky draw, wish that your prizes will remind you of today’s event. My same congratulations go to all participants, winners or not, because the principle of equality is applied here. This very important principle is one of the guiding principles of international relations. All countries are equal members of the international community, regardless of size, strength, or wealth.

We are here for this retreat because we did not retreat from defending the interests of our countries in the year of 2025, especially in the face of mounting external pressures, such as tariff challenges and many others.

We are here for this retreat because we did not slow down in deepening mutual trust through frequent high-level exchanges. President Xi Jinping has exchanged messages with His Majesty King Letsie III and with Prime Minister Matekane many times.

We are here for this retreat because we did not waste any time in carrying forward the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. The zero-tariff treatment has been implemented for a whole year, the agricultural storage and logistic infrastructure project was constructed and handed over yesterday, and the agricultural machinery support has already been delivered, all of which are bringing tangible benefits to the Basotho people.

We are here for this retreat because we did not hold on in safeguarding international fairness and justice and protect the common interest of the developing countries. Standing shoulder to shoulder, we are working together to promote solidarity, resilience, and self-reliance among countries of the Global South. We warmly welcome Lesotho to become one of the 43 founding members of the Group of Friends of Global Governance, which shows Lesotho’s firm support for China’s just positions and major initiatives.

Dear colleagues,

The coming new year marks a new start for advancing the China-Lesotho strategic partnership. We will continue our efforts to strengthen our close cooperation to further elevate our bilateral relationship. At this moment, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all colleagues from the Foreign Ministry for your hard work and dedication. I wish every success to our ongoing practical cooperation and look forward to even more fruitful outcomes in the year ahead.

Thank you!