Steadfast diplomacy is paying handsome dividends for Taiwan by greatly expanding the country’s international space while safeguarding the values of freedom and democracy, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dec. 26.
The year 2019 is one marked with tremendous achievements in promoting relations with the country’s diplomatic allies, the MOFA said, adding that ties with the U.S. are at an all-time high, while relations with Japan and the EU continue to go from strength to strength.
In addition to implementing mutually beneficial cooperative projects with Taiwan’s allies in a responsible, sustainable and transparent manner, the government is making great strides in bolstering international cooperation through various initiatives, the ministry said.
Prime examples include the Taiwan-U.S. Global Cooperative Training Framework launched in 2015, which saw Australia, Japan and Sweden co-organize workshops for the first time this year, as well as the joint staging with the EU of a gender mainstreaming workshop and an LGBTI human rights conference.
The MOFA said government campaigns for Taiwan’s pragmatic and professional participation in the meetings and mechanisms of the U.N.—such as the International Civil Aviation Organization, Framework Convention on Climate Change and World Health Organization—also received unprecedented support from the global community.
The year saw frequent exchanges among leaders and dignitaries of Taiwan and its allies, the MOFA said. These include state visits by President Tsai Ing-wen to the Pacific and Caribbean, as well as visits to Taiwan by Belize Governor-General Colville Young, Guatemala President Jimmy Morales, Nauru President Lionel Aingimea, St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Timothy Harris, St. Lucia PM Allen Chastanet, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines PM Ralph Gonsalves.
Other noteworthy developments include a visit by MOFA Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu to Denmark to deliver a keynote speech at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit; the release of three short films highlighting how Taiwan Can Help fulfill the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals; and Taiwan’s attendance at the Meeting of the Parties to the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement in Mauritius.
The MOFA said it will continue working all out to expand Taiwan’s international space and promote the country’s democratic achievements while contributing to a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific. (SFC-E)
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