First of all, please allow me to pay respects to:

His Majesty King Letsie III,

The Right Honorable Prime Minister,

Honorable President of the Senate,

Honorable Speaker of the National Assembly,

His Lordship the Chief Justice,

Honorable Deputy Prime Minister,

Honorable Cabinet Ministers, especially

Honorable Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition,

All government officials,

Friends from Media Houses,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my great honor and huge pleasure to sign the Protocol with your Honorable Minister.

This Protocol is of special significance because it stabilizes wool and mohair exports from Lesotho to China. Lesotho’s wool and mohair products enjoy an excellent international reputation for their superior quality, benefiting from the country’s high-altitude environment and naturally clean production conditions, and China is the primary destination, purchasing approximately 80% of all wool and mohair produced in the country.

This Protocol is of landmark importance because it provides long-term institutional guarantee for the orderly export of Lesotho’s wool and mohair products, ensuring greater certainty and continuity of trade, particularly during outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease. It reflects our shared commitment to facilitating trade through science-based standards and effective risk management. Also, wool worth about M100 million that was stuck at South Africa ports after an outbreak of FMD will be set for export to China after signing the Protocol today.

This Protocol is of far-reaching benefit because it paves the way for direct trade in wool and mohair between Lesotho and China. By streamlining trade routes and administrative procedures, it will reduce transaction costs, improve market access, and enhance the competitiveness of Lesotho’s wool products. More importantly, the Protocol will help extend the wool value chain. It will support the development of wool sorting, grading, washing, storage and other related industries, attract greater investment, and create more jobs, contributing to Lesotho’s industrialization and sustainable economic development.

This Protocol is of practical merit because it serves as an important vehicle for the effective implementation of China’s zero-tariff policy. Wool and mohair from Lesotho account for approximately 90 percent of Lesotho’s annual exports to China, making them the country's flagship export products to China. The signing of this Protocol will help ensure that the opportunities created by the zero-tariff policy are fully translated into tangible economic benefits. By facilitating market access, it will greatly enhance the competitiveness of Lesotho’s wool and mohair products in the Chinese market.

This Protocol is of strategic value because it not only represents an important achievement in bilateral economic cooperation, but also demonstrates our shared commitment to implementing the outcomes of the 2024 FOCAC Beijing Summit. As a tangible achievement of our joint efforts, it will deepen political mutual trust, broaden practical cooperation, and contribute to the long-term development of the China–Lesotho strategic partnership.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today’s signing is not the end of our efforts, but the beginning of a new chapter in China–Lesotho agricultural and trade cooperation. China stands ready to work hand in hand with Lesotho to ensure the effective implementation of this Protocol, expand practical cooperation, and share development opportunities. Together, let us seize this opportunity to build an even brighter future for our two countries.

Thank you.