Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung published a joint statement along with other partners on the 10th anniversary of the Global Cooperation and Training Framework that celebrates it as an effective mechanism that benefits the international community.
The document was jointly released May 27 by Lin; Raymond Greene, director of the American Institute in Taiwan; Kazuyuki Katayama, chief representative of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association; Australian Office Representative Robert Fergusson; and Jim Nickel, executive director of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei.
Established by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S. and the AIT in 2015, and joined by Japan, Australia and Canada later, the GCTF has organized 87 workshops attended by more than 10,000 government officials and experts from 133 countries to date, the joint statement said. It added that the GCTF franchise model was introduced in 2021 and has hosted 24 events in 17 countries worldwide.
According to the joint statement, members of the GCTF endeavor to enhance global recognition of the framework as a premier platform for multilateral collaboration with Taiwan; welcome additional partners, co-hosts and participants; deepen engagements, including through longer-term programs and exchanges; and establish additional formal cooperation mechanisms to support long-term platform growth and better coordination between partners.
The joint statement also noted that the GCTF remains a vital platform for sharing Taiwan’s expertise, strengthening likeminded cooperation and forging new partnerships to address common challenges. It also serves as a platform to implement integrated diplomacy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, adding that integrated diplomacy is composed of allied diplomacy, values-based diplomacy and economic diplomacy.
Taiwan is committed to maintaining and expanding the GCTF platform in ways that benefit people around the world and contribute to a more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future for all, the ministry said. (YCH-E)
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