President Tsai to visit Paraguay and Belize
The Office of the President held a press conference on the afternoon of July 30 to announce that President Tsai Ing-wen will lead a delegation to Latin American diplomatic allies Paraguay and Belize in mid-August. The planned itinerary was presented by Vice Foreign Minister José María Liu (劉德立).
Vice Minister Liu explained that the theme for this trip is "A Journey of Joint Celebration." President Tsai will attend the inauguration ceremonies for Paraguayan President-elect Mario Abdo Benítez on August 15, and also visit Belize. The president and her delegation are scheduled for a nine-day, eight-night state visit, departing on August 12 and returning on August 20. They will make transit stops in Los Angeles and Houston, respectively, in the United States on the outbound and return legs of the trip.
Vice Minister Liu pointed out that the delegation will include National Security Council Secretary-General David T. Lee (李大維), Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), and a number of cabinet-level ministers and deputy ministers, legislators, and business leaders. In addition, friends from the media are welcome to accompany the delegation to witness the deep friendship between Taiwan and its Latin American diplomatic allies.
Vice Minister Liu stated that from August 14 to 16, President Tsai will be in Paraguay to participate in presidential inauguration ceremonies, meet outgoing President Horacio Cartes and incoming President Abdo, and attend banquets. She will also meet with heads of state and special emissaries of diplomatic allies for bilateral talks, attend the unveiling ceremony at the site of a planned Taiwan-Paraguay industrial and technological university, host a banquet for the local expatriate community, and meet with members of the Taiwan Technical Mission in Paraguay.
The vice minister then explained that during her visit in Belize from August 16 to 18, President Tsai will meet with the governor-general and prime minister, accept a decoration, and attend a state banquet as well as a dinner hosted by the prime minister. The president will also deliver a speech before the National Assembly, tour a vocational and training school, preside over an award ceremony for Taiwan Scholarship Program recipients, visit the ROC embassy, and host a dinner for the local expatriate community.