President Tsai Ing-wen said Nov. 20 that she looks forward to building on Taiwan and Tuvalu’s 40 years of friendship, pledging to deepen exchanges with the Pacific ally across the board as part of the government’s efforts advancing sustainable development in the region.
Tsai made the remarks during a meeting with Simon Kofe, Tuvalu’s minister of justice, communication and foreign affairs at the Presidential Office in Taipei City. The minister is in Taiwan on a six-day fact-finding visit for the country’s agricultural, cultural and creative, and food processing industries.
Kofe’s visit follows on the heels of a Ministry of Foreign Affairs delegation to the Pacific ally led by Deputy Minister Hsu Szu-chien earlier this month.
According to Tsai, Taiwan and Tuvalu are working together across a range of fields spanning areas such as climate change, education, energy, fisheries and health care. Both countries are looking to continue their partnership for mutual benefit while raising the region’s profile among the global community, she added.
Tsai also congratulated Tuvalu on a successful parliamentary election that saw a new government formed in September. Like Taiwan, the country is a model of democratic values, she said.
The rock-solid support for closer bilateral relations expressed by Kofe and Tuvalu’s new government is deeply appreciated, Tsai added. (YCH-E)
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