President Lai Ching-te said July 16 that Taiwan is committed to deepening cooperation with its ally Guatemala across the board to further strengthen bilateral relations.
Lai made the remarks while meeting with a cross-party parliamentary delegation led by Guatemalan Congress President Nery Abilio Ramos y Ramos at the Presidential Office in Taipei City. He took advantage of the opportunity to express concern and condolences over the recent severe flooding in Guatemala and offer Taiwan’s assistance.
According to Lai, Guatemala is Taiwan’s unwavering Central American ally, and its Congress is a staunch supporter of Taiwan’s international participation. This year has seen several exchanges between the two sides, the president said, citing the sale of coffee from small farms in Guatemala by Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. and visits to Guatemala by representatives of enterprises in Taiwan exploring possible collaborations or expansions for their coffee, seafood, and textile businesses. Lai added that the two countries will continue to move forward together, surmounting any challenge that arises.
In response, Ramos thanked Taiwan for supporting Guatemala’s development in the areas of economy, education, health, technology and trade. Projects undertaken in cooperation between the two countries have benefited the Guatemalan people, he said, using the examples of road construction and agricultural technology enhancement for bamboo, coffee bean and papaya crops.
In addition, Guatemala highly values Taiwan’s medical development, Ramos said, noting that Congress passed a resolution in May to recognize Taiwan’s contributions to global medical care. A letter was also sent to the World Health Organization’s Secretariat earlier this year to advocate for granting Taiwan observer status in the 77th World Health Assembly and ensuring the country’s full participation in the global body’s meetings, mechanisms and activities, he added. Ramos went on to reaffirm the enduring friendship between the allies and presented a copy of the resolution to Lai.
The meeting followed a banquet hosted by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung for Ramos and his delegation July 15. Lin pledged to continue cooperating with the ally in line with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo’s policy guidelines and to draw on Taiwan’s economic experience to help promote prosperity in Guatemala, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)
