President Tsai and Belize Prime Minister Briceño hold bilateral talks
On the morning of March 9, after welcoming Belize Prime Minister John Briceño, his wife, and delegation with military honors, President Tsai Ing-wen, accompanied by Vice President Lai Ching-te, met with the prime minister for bilateral talks. In remarks at the meeting, President Tsai stated that the Taiwan-Belize Economic Cooperation Agreement has already come into effect, and expressed confidence that the preferential tariff treatment and investment protection it provides will further strengthen our economic partnership. The president also said she looks forward to developing an even deeper bilateral friendship as well as closer trade ties to create more opportunities for cooperation.
A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:
I vividly recall visiting Taiwan Street during my trip to Belize in 2018. The passion that the Belizean people showed us, as well as Belize's beautiful scenery, left a deep impression on me. It's a memory I fondly cherish. Now Prime Minister Briceño is visiting Taiwan for the first time as Prime Minister. Your visit will help our countries develop an even deeper friendship and will allow us to further advance bilateral cooperation.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Briceño, in recent years Belize has capitalized on the restructuring of global supply chains to accelerate the expansion of external trade, leading to outstanding economic performance. We look forward to deepening our economic and trade relations. In January, the Taiwan-Belize Economic Cooperation Agreement officially came into effect. I believe that we will develop an even closer economic and trade partnership thanks to the reciprocal preferential tariff treatment and investment protection under this agreement.
As the world now looks toward recovery in the post-pandemic era, Taiwan will continue to work with Belize in promoting various programs. We hope that our joint efforts in such areas as disease prevention, post-pandemic economic recovery, and women's empowerment will yield fruitful results. I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my special thanks to Mrs. Rosanna Briceño, who has kindly participated in Taiwan's women's empowerment project in Belize. And your visit to Taiwan in your capacity as special envoy for the development of families and children will certainly help further cooperation between our countries on advancing the rights of women and children.
I believe that every instance of exchange contributes to better understanding and cooperation. Just over a month ago, Prime Minister Briceño and Vice President Lai engaged in bilateral dialogue and attended Honduras' presidential inauguration ceremony. And during this trip to Taiwan, Prime Minister Briceño will not only stay in Taipei, but also travel to Tainan to experience the culture and atmosphere of southern Taiwan.
The friendship between our nations continues to grow. We look forward to forging even closer exchanges between Taiwan and Belize in the future, and wish Prime Minister Briceño and your delegation a very productive visit.
Prime Minister Briceño then delivered remarks, mentioning that in Belize it is still International Women's Day (March 8) before wishing President Tsai and all the women of Taiwan well on this occasion. The prime minister also expressed his appreciation for the fine weather on the day, saying that conditions could not be more fitting for a meeting between two friends.
Prime Minister Briceño said that Belize and Taiwan have enjoyed a friendly relationship for almost 33 years, which will be continuously built upon going forward. The prime minister noted that this relationship is founded on our shared values of democracy, the rule of law, self-determination, human rights, and putting people at the center of development. Prime Minister Briceño concluded his remarks by emphasizing that the people of Belize support Taiwan and its right to self-determination, to live in peace with its neighbors, and to membership in international organizations.
Members of Prime Minister Briceño's delegation in attendance at the meeting were Belize Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Immigration Eamon Courtenay; Minister of Education, Culture, Science, and Technology Francis Fonseca; Minister of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise Jose Mai; Cabinet Secretary and Chief of Staff Stuart Leslie; and Ambassador of Investment Jaime Briceño. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), Ambassador to Belize David K.C. Chien (錢冠州), and Belize Ambassador to the ROC Candice Pitts. Secretary-General to the President David T. Lee (李大維) was also in attendance at the meeting.