Talofa! (Greetings!)
I’m very happy to be here in Tuvalu to visit our ally in such a beautiful country, and get to see Taiwan's good friends.
I’ve often heard Tuvalu described as a "heaven at sea," where beautiful coral islets dot the South Pacific like a pearl necklace. But for the people of Taiwan, Tuvalu means more than just beautiful scenery—it means firm friendship.
Tuvalu is Taiwan's oldest diplomatic ally in the Pacific, establishing official relations 38 years ago. Since then, our countries have shared a commitment to universal values such as democracy and human rights, and have also laid a solid foundation for friendship through wide-ranging cooperation and exchanges in such fields as agriculture, healthcare, clean energy, and culture.
For many years, many people from Taiwan have been coming to this beautiful nation to work alongside the people of Tuvalu to build better lives and pursue sustainable development. I hope that cooperation between the two governments will result in closer bilateral relations and sustainable national development.
I want to thank Governor-General Iakoba Taeia Italeli as well as the government and people of Tuvalu for your warm welcome. I hope that this visit will benefit both countries.