President Tsai welcomes President Mario Abdo Benítez of Paraguay to Taiwan
President Mario Abdo Benítez of the Republic of Paraguay, accompanied by his wife, is currently leading a delegation to Taiwan on a five-day state visit at the invitation of our government. On February 15, Presidential Office Spokesperson Kolas Yotaka said that President Tsai Ing-wen extended a warm welcome to President Abdo Benítez and his delegation from our Latin American ally on behalf of the people and government of Taiwan.
Spokesperson Kolas stated that on the morning of February 16, President Tsai will welcome the delegation with military honors at the Presidential Office. To further deepen our bilateral partnership, they will also hold meetings and witness the signing of bilateral agreements. At noon that same day, President Tsai will host a state banquet for the delegation at the Presidential Office, where attendees will exchange views on expanding Taiwan-Paraguay cooperation across a variety of areas.
The spokesperson stated that this is President Abdo Benítez's third time visiting Taiwan and that his delegation includes Minister of Foreign Affairs Julio César Arriola and Minister of Industry and Commerce Luis Castiglioni, along with other key cabinet members and officials, demonstrating the importance Paraguay places on our bilateral friendship.
Noting that President Abdo Benítez has on many occasions spoken out in support of Taiwan's international participation at international events, Spokesperson Kolas said that in recent years our two countries have cooperated closely in areas including women's empowerment, agriculture, fisheries, public health and medicine, education, and cultural affairs. While in Taiwan, the members of the delegation will attend the Empower Women! Empower LAC! Forum, where they will share their experiences with participants from around the world.
The spokesperson added that Paraguay is an important ally of Taiwan in Latin America, and expressed hope that through our exchanges during this visit, we can continue to deepen the friendship between our countries, further the well-being of our peoples, and work together to bolster the global post-pandemic economic recovery.