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On the morning of March 31, President Tsai Ing-wen met with Paraguayan Minister of Industry and Commerce Luis Alberto Castiglioni. Noting that the Agreement on Economic Cooperation between Taiwan and Paraguay has spurred continued bilateral trade growth since it came into effect in 2018, President Tsai said she looks forward to comprehensively deepening mutual cooperation, strengthening bilateral relations, and jointly promoting prosperity and development.
A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:
Minister Castiglioni has been to Taiwan several times before, and this year, he is once again leading Ministry of Industry and Commerce officials and enterprise representatives on a visit. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I would like to extend a sincere welcome to the minister and the members of his delegation. This is also the first delegation from Paraguay that I have received at the Presidential Office since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic over two years ago, and I am delighted to see that reciprocal visits are gradually resuming.
Over the past five years, cooperation and exchanges between Taiwan and Paraguay have grown closer. In 2016, not long after I took office, I made a state visit to Paraguay, and in 2018, I also attended the inauguration of President Mario Abdo Benítez. After President Abdo took office, his first state visit was to Taiwan, where he was welcomed by the Taiwanese people, and accompanied by Minister Castiglioni, who was then Minister of Foreign Affairs. These interactions all testify to the deep friendship between our countries.
President Abdo, like Taiwan, has publicly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This once again highlights that Taiwan and Paraguay are partners in upholding the values of freedom and democracy. At the United Nations General Assembly last September, President Abdo expressed support for Taiwan's participation in the United Nations system. Here, I would like to thank Paraguay for repeatedly speaking out on our behalf at important international venues, showing staunch support for Taiwan.
Likewise, Taiwan and Paraguay enjoy close economic and trade relations. In particular, our Agreement on Economic Cooperation has spurred continued growth in bilateral trade since coming into effect in 2018. Last year, Taiwan imports of frozen beef from Paraguay reached 29,000 tons, a record high. Taiwanese consumers love Paraguayan beef, which is sold in supermarkets and restaurants, and also used in products such as instant beef noodles and savory gift boxes.
This year, we also eliminated tariffs on imports of beef offal from Paraguay, as a result of which January imports alone reached 30 percent of last year's total. We are also considering imports of other livestock products from Paraguay. These exchanges and cooperation all show how important Paraguay is to Taiwan.
In the future, Taiwan will continue to deepen our cooperation with Paraguay across a range of fields. We look forward to working with Minister Castiglioni and the members of his delegation to further strengthen bilateral relations and jointly promote prosperity and development. And please convey my best regards to President Abdo, a good friend of Taiwan. Thank you.
