Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung and his delegation arrived in Belize Oct. 29 as part of his 11-day tour of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in Latin America and the Caribbean.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lin met with his counterpart Francis Fonseca later the same day to discuss issues of mutual interest and review progress of bilateral cooperative projects on agriculture, culture, education, environmental sustainability, infrastructure development, information communications technology, public health and women’s empowerment.
Lin thanked Belize for its long-term support for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization, International Civil Aviation Organization, U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change and International Criminal Police Organization. The ally’s concern over China’s attempts to coerce and threaten Taiwan is sincerely appreciated by the government and people, he added.
During a joint press conference, the minister said the two countries are like-minded partners in freedom and democracy that share a deep respect for the rule of law and human rights. Lin also announced a major step forward in the plan to export Belizean shrimp to Taiwan, saying that on-site verification is now underway.
The minister later attended a reception celebrating the 35th anniversary of the official relationship. He said that based on this solid foundation, Taiwan will continue to share experiences and work with Belize for mutual prosperity, especially in areas such as clean energy, public health, smart agriculture and talent cultivation.
The minister met with Prime Minister John Briceño the next morning to exchange views on the direction of future cooperation. The two later visited the general hospital for San Pedro, currently under construction with support from Taiwan. Lin is scheduled to visit St. Kitts and Nevis before returning to Taiwan Nov. 2, the MOFA said. (SFC-E)
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