President Tsai Ing-wen received Belize’s first lady Rossana Briceno at the Presidential Office in Taipei City Feb. 14, pledging to work with the Caribbean ally to further economic resilience and promote regional peace, prosperity and stability in the post-pandemic era.
In her role as Belize’s special envoy for the development of families and children, Briceno was invited by the government to participate in the Empower Women, Empower Latin America and the Caribbean Forum taking place Feb. 15 in Taipei.
According to Tsai, the first lady is a long-time advocate of women’s, children’s and education issues. Briceno has been the chairperson of the Spouses of CARICOM Leaders Action Network, where she continues to advance women’s and children’s rights in the Caribbean.
In particular, Tsai said Briceno also serves on the review committee of the Taiwan-Belize women’s empowerment project, which has organized numerous skills development courses and entrepreneurship counseling activities over the past year.
The president said bilateral economic and trade exchanges are progressing apace, citing the expanded cooperation in key sectors such as seafood procurement and food processing since the Taiwan-Belize Economic Cooperation Agreement came into effect in January 2022.
Tsai also took the opportunity to thank Belize for speaking up for Taiwan and supporting the country on the global stage, including passing a motion last May backing Taiwan’s participation in international organizations. It is hoped that the two like-minded partners will continue to deepen their relationship for the greater well-being of both sides, she added.
In response, Briceno expressed her admiration for Tsai’s leadership of Taiwan toward a bright and prosperous future and for her inspiring dedication to democracy and human rights.
The president’s vision for Taiwan and its people is a model for world leaders, Briceno said, adding that her country looks forward to continuing to work with Taiwan. (SFC-E)
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