Marcial Bobadilla Guillen, outgoing ambassador of Paraguay, was awarded the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon Dec. 11 in recognition of his extensive efforts to strengthen relations between the ROC (Taiwan) and its South American ally.
During the presentation ceremony at Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Taipei City, MOFA Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu thanked Guillen for tirelessly promoting bilateral friendship throughout his seven years in Taiwan. His contributions spanning culture, politics and trade have enhanced people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding between the two sides, he said.
In particular, Wu praised Guillen’s work on the bilateral Economic Cooperation Agreement signed in 2017 to mark the 60th anniversary of official ties between the two countries. The pact has significantly boosted trade between Paraguay and Taiwan, Wu added.
In response, Guillen said despite the severe impact of COVID-19 on the world economy, both sides have continued to work closely on numerous projects this year, while the government and people of Paraguay are deeply appreciative of Taiwan’s help in managing the pandemic. Freedom, democracy and good governance will always be foremost in his mind when thinking of Taiwan and his time in the country, he added.
According to the MOFA, Taiwan and Paraguay enjoy strong partnerships in fields spanning agriculture, education, infrastructure development and medical care. Two-way trade amounted to US$105.31 million in 2019, up 70.82 percent year on year. (SFC-E)
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