Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

President Tsai Ing-wen accepted the credentials of Eny Yamileth Bautista Guevara, the new Republic of Honduras Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Taiwan, on the morning of December 19. The president welcomed Ambassador Bautista Guevara to her new post in Taiwan, and said she looks forward to working closely with her to bring new vitality and fresh developments to our bilateral relations.

A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:

The Republic of Honduras is a loyal diplomatic ally of the Republic of China (Taiwan). I am pleased to accept Ambassador Bautista Guevara's credentials today, and offer a warm welcome on behalf of the government of the Republic of China and the people of Taiwan.

This is Ambassador Bautista Guevara's first visit to Taiwan, and I am sure you will soon experience the passion of Taiwan's people and our diverse cultures. Ambassador Bautista Guevara has a wealth of experience and has won the confidence and trust of President Juan Orlando Hernández. We look forward to working with Ambassador Bautista Guevara to bring new vitality and fresh developments to our bilateral relations.

The Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Republic of Honduras share a commitment to universal values such as democracy, freedom, and human rights. Over the past three years or so, President Hernández and I have deepened our diplomatic friendship through reciprocal state visits, and by strengthening cooperation across the board.

This past April, I was also delighted to meet Honduran First Lady Ana García de Hernández here at the Presidential Office. We truly cherish the long-standing mutual trust and friendship between Taiwan and Honduras.

Over the past three years or so, our countries have seen many cooperative achievements in public health, agriculture, education, science, and technology. To continue to promote tourism industry cooperation, this year we organized a delegation that included a famous blogger and 11 tour operators to visit Honduras. We hope they will help share local Honduran culture and customs with more Taiwanese, as we work together to create tourism business opportunities.

In the future, we will actively invite Honduran companies to attend trade shows and exhibitions in Taiwan. We will also continue to encourage Taiwanese companies to invest in Honduras so that together, we can create win-win situations and mutually beneficial development in both countries.

Once again, I would like to welcome Ambassador Bautista Guevara to her new post. We hope she will regard Taiwan as her "second home." We will give her our full support as we work in concert to enhance bilateral relations.

Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) was also present at the ceremony.