Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung presided over a flag handover ceremony Jan. 21 in Taipei City for two teams of Teen Diplomatic Envoys set for visits to Canada and the U.S.
In his address, Minister Lin congratulated the 25 envoys on their selection from more than 300 contestants last year. The MOFA initiative reflects local youth commitment to the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, he said, looking forward to seeing them fly the flag for Taiwan on the global stage.
The minister said in response to President Lai Ching-te’s policy priority of assisting youths to pursue exchanges abroad, the MOFA has increased the number of teen diplomat selectees, doubled the number of Taiwan Scholarships and encouraged more international youth to study in Taiwan. He encouraged the teen envoys to carry out their duty as diplomats in line with the spirit of the government’s integrated diplomacy.
Echoing Lin’s remarks, Deputy Minister of Education Chang Liao Wan-chien said Taiwan is globally recognized for its achievements in education, disease management, science and technology and sports development. He expected the young people to raise Taiwan’s profile and engage with global counterparts during this precious opportunity.
According to the MOFA, the 25 delegates from five local high schools will be divided into two groups, with one visiting Canada’s Vancouver and the U.S cities of Seattle and San Franciso, and the other going to Washington D.C., New York and Boston in the U.S.
During their stay Feb. 3-13 in the two North American nations, the delegations will call on government agencies, legislative bodies, cultural institutions and NGOs and engage with local university and high-school students.
More than 230 local students in 58 groups have been selected from over 10,000 contestants since the initiative’s launch in 2002 in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the MOFA said. (SFC-E)
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