Taiwan and ally Tuvalu’s share a close friendship spanning 39 years and are committed partners in promoting peace, stability, sustainable development and prosperity for the benefit of the people, according to Vice President Chen Chien-jen Aug. 27.
As members of the Austronesian-speaking family, Taiwan and Tuvalu engage in extensive cultural exchanges and collaboration in areas like agriculture, education and health care, Chen said. Such robust relations are also reflected by the frequent reciprocal visits by high-level officials, he added.
Chen made the remarks while receiving Maatia Toafa, deputy prime minister of Tuvalu, at the Office of the President in Taipei City. Toafa is in country Aug. 23-28 at the head of a delegation from the South Pacific nation including Minister of Natural Resources Dr. Puakena Boreham, Minister of Transportation Monise Laafai and Minister of Education Fauoa Maani.
According to Chen, President Tsai Ing-wen has met with Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sosene Sopoaga four times since taking office in May 2016, with the most recent encounter three months ago in Taipei. It is also good to welcome Toafa back to Taiwan for his second trip in two years, he said.
The vice president sincerely thanked Toafa for Tuvalu’s staunch support of government efforts to expand the participation of Taiwan in multilateral organizations, citing remarks by Minister of Health Satini Tulaga Manuella during the 71st World Health Assembly in Geneva on the need for the nation to be included in the WHA.
It is hoped, Chen said, Tuvalu will back Taiwan taking part in more global gatherings such as the U.N. General Assembly Sept. 18 to Oct. 5 in New York, Conference of Directors General of Civil Aviation Asia and Pacific Regions Oct. 22-26 in Fiji and Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change Dec. 3-14 in Poland.
The vice president also congratulated Toafa on Tuvalu’s 40th anniversary of independence from the U.K., which is celebrated Oct. 1, and said the government would send a delegation to next year’s Pacific Islands Forum in the Commonwealth country as a way of demonstrating the importance of bilateral ties. (SFC-E)
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