President Lai Ching-te received Panapasi Nelesone, Tuvalu’s deputy prime minister and minister of finance and economic development, April 15 at the Presidential Office in Taipei City, expressing appreciation for the Pacific ally’s long-standing support of Taiwan’s international participation.
Lai said he looks forward to a continued strengthening of ties with Tuvalu, reiterating points made during his meeting last week with Lily Tangisia Faavae, the nation’s new ambassador to Taiwan. The allies will soon sign agreements on labor cooperation and mutual recognition of sailors’ training and competency documents to further collaboration across the board, he added.
Taiwan and Tuvalu enjoy a close partnership in the areas of agriculture, education, information and communications technology, and medical care, the president said. Both countries value freedom and democracy, and are staunch partners in marine resources conservation, climate adaptation and countering authoritarian expansion, he added, expressing his hope that the partners continue to work together to advance peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
In response, Nelesone said Taiwan’s assistance in education, health and climate change resilience has significantly influenced the lives of Tuvalu’s people. He took the opportunity to thank President Lai for a recent donation of shoes to Tuvaluan students.
Taiwan’s strong commitment to the bilateral relationship is critical to the two sides’ efforts to promote their shared values, which include democracy, resilience and sustainable development, the deputy prime minister said, adding that he believes the partnership will continue to grow and become a model for regional cooperation. (YCH-E)
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