President Lai to lead delegation on visit to the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau
On the morning of November 22, the Presidential Office held a press conference to announce that President Lai Ching-te will lead a delegation from November 30 to December 6 to visit the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and the Republic of Palau, all diplomatic allies of Taiwan. On this trip, President Lai hopes to achieve the core goals of smart sustainability, sustainable democracy, and sustainable diplomatic ties. The president looks forward to continuing to strengthen the close and friendly partnerships with our allies, and on the foundation of mutual assistance for mutual benefits, allow for the sustainable growth of all areas of cooperation and enhance the well-being of all our peoples.
At the press conference, Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) stated that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Tuvalu, the 26th anniversary of that between Taiwan and the Marshall Islands, and the 25th of that between Taiwan and Palau. In May this year, the spokesperson remarked, heads of state of these three Pacific nations, President Hilda C. Heine of the Marshall Islands, Prime Minister Feleti Teo of Tuvalu, and President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. of Palau, led delegations to Taiwan to attend the presidential inauguration. Last month, she said, Prime Minister Teo made another visit, during which he served as chief guest in our National Day celebrations, showing strong support for Taiwan and generously inviting President Lai once again to pay a reciprocal visit.
Spokesperson Kuo said that in reply to the warm invitations of these three Pacific allies, and in order to demonstrate the importance Taiwan places on them and continue to strengthen our close and friendly partnerships, President Lai will lead a delegation on a reciprocal visit to each. Noting that the theme of this visit is “Smart and Sustainable Development for a Prosperous Austronesian Region,” the spokesperson said that President Lai hopes to achieve three core goals in sustainability on the trip. The first, she said, is smart sustainability, as the president hopes to share Taiwan’s experiences with our allies to jointly build economic resilience. The second goal, she said, is sustainable democracy, in hopes that through these visits, we can deepen cooperation with democratic partners that share our values and beliefs. The spokesperson said that the last goal is sustainable diplomatic ties, as we look forward to continuing to advance together into the future, and on the foundation of mutual assistance for mutual benefits, allow for the sustainable growth of all areas of cooperation and enhance the well-being of all our peoples.
Spokesperson Kuo stated that the members of the delegation for this visit, which include Secretary-General to the President Pan Men-an (潘孟安), Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), Deputy Secretary-General to the President Chang Tun-han (張惇涵), Minister of the Overseas Community Affairs Council Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青), Minister of the Ocean Affairs Council Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲), Minister of the Council of Indigenous Peoples Ljaucu‧Zingrur (曾智勇), and Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀), will see firsthand the results of the cooperative projects we have engaged in with our Pacific allies.
Spokesperson Kuo stated that during the trip, President Lai will meet with President Heine in the Marshall Islands, Prime Minister Teo in Tuvalu, and President Whipps in Palau, and engage in a comprehensive exchange of views on our major bilateral cooperative projects as well as on issues pertaining to the Pacific region and international issues.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) then outlined the trip itinerary, stating that President Lai will visit the three Pacific allies in the following order: the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and then Palau. He said that during his time in the Marshall Islands, the president will meet with President Heine and her cabinet and with Speaker of the Nitijela (parliament) Brenson Wase, adding that the president will also address the Nitijela, attend a ceremony marking the completion of the Majuro Hospital AI and Telemedicine Center, and attend a state banquet hosted by President Heine. During his time in Tuvalu, the deputy minister said, President Lai will meet with Governor-General Tofiga Vaevalu Falani and with Prime Minister Teo and his cabinet, attend a state banquet hosted by Prime Minister Teo, and visit Nauti Primary School. During his time in Palau, he said, the president will meet with President Whipps and his cabinet, address the Palau National Congress, attend a state banquet hosted by President Whipps, and participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new office building that will consolidate several of Palau’s government departments.
Deputy Minister Tien emphasized that promoting summit diplomacy and friendship between Taiwan’s senior officials and those of our allies has always been a key part of our government’s diplomatic work. This is the first trip to diplomatic allies by President Lai since his inauguration, making it especially meaningful, the deputy minister said, and the details of his itinerary are currently under careful planning, arrangement, and coordination. He added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to work with other government agencies as well as with the governments of the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau, to finalize the details of this itinerary and ensure the successful completion of its objectives.