A delegation led by Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo arrived in Taiwan yesterday afternoon and is to visit President William Lai (賴清德) today.
The delegation arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 4:55pm, and was greeted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍).
It is Arevalo’s first trip to Taiwan since he took office last year, and following the visit, he is to travel to Japan to celebrate the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Photo: CNA
Arevalo said at the airport that he is very glad to make the visit to Taiwan, adding that he brings an important message of responsibility and duty from the Guatemalan people — the hope of deepening bilateral cooperation and strengthening friendship with Taiwan.
The Guatemala-Taiwan diplomatic relationship is about to enter a new stage, highlighted by the will of the people in the two countries, achieving mutual benefit and reciprocity through various cooperative mechanisms, and sharing and developing the common values of freedom, democracy and respect to sovereignty, based on the two countries’ history and culture, he said.
The visit is also very important for deepening mutual friendship, he said, adding that he believes it could open up new opportunities for cooperative relations.
The 10-person delegation is to stay in Taiwan until Sunday. The group includes Guatemalan Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Ramiro Martinez, Guatemalan Minister of Economy Gabriela Garcia-Quinn and Guatemalan first lady Lucrecia Peinado, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Meanwhile, a delegation led by Eswatini Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Pholile Shakantu arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday afternoon, the ministry said.
It is Shakantu’s second visit to Taiwan, following her visit in January last year, in which she met with then-vice president Lai, who had just won the presidential election, and told him that Eswatini would continue to be Taiwan’s strongest ally and would bolster ties.
The delegation met with Lin at the foreign ministry in Taipei yesterday, where they exchanged ideas about bilateral cooperation, trade and economic investments.
Lin said he visited the Kingdom of Eswatini in April as a special envoy to congratulate Eswatini King Mswati III on his birthday, and that he is glad to see the delegation visit Taiwan, demonstrating the close and frequent interactions between the two countries, as well as the deep and solid diplomatic relations.
He thanked King Mswati III and the Eswatini government for its firm support for Taiwan in the international community over the years, including at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, last month.
Having discussed issues concerning economics and trade, investment, tourism, and smart city and energy development with King Mswati III in April, Lin said he believes that through close cooperation, the vision of “Taiwan can help” and “Eswatini can lead [Africa]” can be achieved, bringing prosperity to Eswatini.
Members of the Eswatini delegation also included Minister of Public Works and Transport Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe, Minister for Finance Neal Rijkenberg, Minister of Public Works and Transport Manqoba Khumalo, Director of the King’s Office Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze and other Cabinet officials, the foreign ministry said.
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