Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

President Tsai Ing-wen met on the morning of May 23 with Guatemalan First Lady Hilda Patricia Marroquin Argueta de Morales and Kiribati President Taneti Maamau. President Tsai thanked her guests for coming to Taiwan to attend the inaugural activities for our 14th-term president and vice president. She also expressed hope that bilateral exchanges and cooperation will continue to deepen in the future, and that our bilateral friendships will endure.

At her meeting with Guatemalan First Lady Patricia de Morales, President Tsai noted that President Jimmy Morales' administration has achieved outstanding results since he took office on January 14 of this year, receiving broad support from across the political spectrum and from the grassroots. His special request that the first lady lead this delegation to Taiwan and offer congratulations stands as a symbol of the sincere friendship at the heart of the Taiwan-Guatemala alliance.

President Tsai noted that Taiwan and Guatemala have been diplomatic allies for over 80 years, with frequent, high-level reciprocal visits and close cooperation in various fields. President Morales' administration advocates a transparent government and emphasizes three major principles: basic infrastructure, medical care and health, and education. Within our capabilities and working together with the Guatemalan government, President Tsai stated, Taiwan is ready to plan and promote various bilateral cooperation projects, and become a faithful partner in Guatemala's quest for sustainable development.

During her meeting with Kiribati President Maamau, President Tsai first congratulated him on being sworn in as Kiribati's fifth president on March 11 of this year. She then said that she understood the heavy responsibilities of a national leader, and was therefore especially thankful that President Maamau was able to put aside other pressing matters so soon after taking office, and come to Taiwan to attend her inauguration ceremony.

President Tsai also mentioned that President Maamau's impeccable image of modesty and integrity has received wide acclaim and support from his people. No stranger to Taiwan, she said, he visited in September of last year while serving as a member of Kiribati's legislative House of Assembly. President Tsai then expressed hope that in the future, President Maamau will have time to visit us often and get to know Taiwan better.

Turning to Taiwan-Kiribati relations, President Tsai stated that the two countries have had diplomatic relations for 13 years, and in the past 12 years have promoted over 100 cooperative projects in medical care and health, technical cooperation in agriculture and fisheries, human resource training and development, and clean energy, achieving widely recognized results. Building on this existing foundation, President Tsai expressed hope for even deeper bilateral cooperation in the future.