President Tsai Ing-wen said Nov. 14 that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is committed to expanding mutually beneficial exchanges with Central American diplomatic ally Belize across a broad spectrum of areas.
Strong and steadfast relations between the two countries are highlighted by an agreement signed Sept. 7 on boosting police cooperation and combating transnational crime, the president said, adding that the government looks forward to deepening business links and expanding tourism ties.
Tsai made the remarks while receiving a Belize delegation headed by Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington at the Office of the President in Taipei City. The group is on a Nov. 13-17 police operations fact-finding tour.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the delegation is scheduled to visit the National Police Agency under the Ministry of the Interior, Central Police University in northern Taiwan’s Taoyuan City and NPA’s Criminal Investigation Bureau. It will also call on the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council and Taipei-based International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF).
Tsai said the visit will also enable both sides to exchange views on ongoing collaboration projects. She highlighted recent efforts to explore new areas of cooperation including a tour of the Central American nation by Taiwan tourism enterprises in October.
Organized by the ROC government-supported Central America Trade Office, the tour is expected to unlock business opportunities for companies on both sides, the president said, adding that she hopes that such efforts will encourage more Taiwan travelers to visit Belize.
Tsai expressed appreciation for the diplomatic ally’s long-standing and unwavering backing of the nation in the international community. She noted that Belize voiced staunch support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the U.N. system during the world body’s General Assembly in September.
According to the MOFA, ROC-Belize relations have been going from strength to strength since their official establishment in 1989, with steady advances yielding positive results in areas such as agriculture, education, infrastructure, medical care and public health. (KWS-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw