President Hilda C. Heine of the Marshall Islands arrived July 26 in Taiwan on a seven-day state visit aimed at expanding exchanges and deepening friendship between the Indo-Pacific nations.
Leading a delegation of senior officials, Heine returns to Taiwan for the first time since attending President Tsai Ing-wen’s inauguration in May 2016.
During her stay, Heine will meet with Tsai and other top government figures, witness the signing of bilateral agreements on visa-free entry and coast guard collaboration, as well as inspect a military honor guard outside the Presidential Office Building in Taipei City.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Marshall Islands is a staunch supporter of Taiwan’s participation in international and regional organizations.
The allies also work together across a wide range of areas such as agriculture, clean energy, environmental protection, health care and talent cultivation, the MOFA said, adding that this is advancing prosperity and building a better tomorrow for the people of both countries.
Strong two-way ties are similarly reflected in frequent reciprocal high-level visits by officials, the MOFA said, citing Tsai’s trip to the Marshall Islands as part of a Pacific tour in late 2017.
During Tsai’s three-day stay, she addressed the Marshall Islands parliament and witnessed the signing of memorandums of understanding on a presidential youth scholarship program, as well as combating human trafficking and immigration affairs.
Tsai and Heine also inaugurated a climate-controlled greenhouse and eco-friendly piggery constructed under a joint project implemented by Taipei City-headquartered International Cooperation Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), the nation’s foremost foreign aid organization.
Taiwan and the Marshall Islands will continue building on this firm foundation and implement more collaborative undertakings so as to advance sustainable development and deliver mutually beneficial outcomes, the MOFA said. (SFC-E)
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