I heard about the fire at the migrant detention center in Mexico before arriving in Guatemala, and was deeply saddened by this event. I want to express my deepest condolences to the victims and their families.
I am delighted to be back in Guatemala and meet again with President Giammattei. I also want to convey our best wishes on behalf of the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to President Giammattei and all our friends in Guatemala. The last time I visited Guatemala was in 2017. Today, as the plane descended, I looked down upon the magnificent volcano and lake I remembered so well. The scenery was as beautiful as ever, and it truly brought up pleasant memories.
Over the past few years, both Taiwan and Guatemala have seen many changes, but also much progress. Guatemala has made great strides under the leadership of President Giammattei. In 2021, as the pandemic impacted the global economy, Guatemala's economy grew by 7.5%. Last month, Fitch Ratings ranked Guatemala as the fastest economic recovery in Latin America, an admirable performance.
Guatemala is a staunch ally of Taiwan, and over the past few years we have continued to deepen our cooperation in medicine and public health, economics and trade, and basic infrastructure. President Giammattei and I just witnessed the signing of a bilateral basic cooperation agreement, which will help create more diverse possibilities for new technical cooperation and exchanges.
In addition, during the pandemic, Taiwan and Guatemala cooperated to complete the design and construction of the National Hospital of Chimaltenango in just 18 months. Not only is the facility now in use, but the entire process spurred economic growth and brought employment opportunities to the people of Guatemala.
Taiwan and Guatemala are democratic partners who share values including freedom and respect for human rights. We have seen President Giammattei on numerous instances express public support for Ukraine to the international community, and he has even personally visited the frontline in Ukraine, demonstrating through concrete action the pursuit of international peace.
Last year when China conducted military exercises aimed at Taiwan, Guatemala immediately took a stand and spoke up for Taiwan. At many international venues, President Giammattei has supported Taiwan's international participation through various means, including letters and public statements.
President Giammattei previously described the relationship between Taiwan and Guatemala as "friendship means steadfast loyalty, through thick and thin," to which I wholeheartedly agree. Extending a helping hand in times of need is true friendship. We are deeply touched by President Giammattei's friendship with Taiwan, and we are extremely grateful for Guatemala's support.
I believe that through unity and cooperation, democratic partners can become more resilient and jointly overcome any challenge. Based on our solid foundation of cooperation, we look forward to continued joint efforts by Taiwan and Guatemala and the continued prosperity of both our countries.