Guatemala cherishes its partnership with Taiwan, Guatemalan Foreign Minister Mario Bucaro said on Saturday (Oct. 7) at a National Day celebration held by Taiwan’s embassy in the Central American country.
Speaking at the Hotel Camino Real in Guatemala City, Bucaro said both countries share universal values such as democracy, freedom, and sovereignty, per CNA. He also thanked Taiwan for its long-term assistance in the fields of public health, education, agricultural technology, and personnel training.
Taiwan Ambassador to Guatemala Miguel Tsao (曹立傑) said Taiwan and Guatemala share common values and in addition to various cooperation projects, engage in bilateral trade, which has seen significant growth. He expressed gratitude for Guatemala’s unwavering support for Taiwan in international forums, including the U.N. General Assembly.
The Taiwanese government has contributed to global pandemic prevention and post-pandemic recovery, earning praise as a good international Samaritan, Tsao said.
The event also marked 90 years of Taiwan-Guatemala diplomatic relations, which have taken stronger precedence following the loss of diplomatic allies Honduras and Nicaragua in the past two years. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and then-President Alejandro Giammattei each paid a visit to each other’s countries in April.
Last month, Bucaro traveled to Taiwan where he thanked Taiwan for its support in advancing Guatemala’s important national development policies and encouraged more Taiwanese investment. He expressed hope that more Guatemalan products could be promoted through Taiwan’s Central America Trade Office. He also emphasized the significance of Taiwan’s provision of scholarships and training programs, which have helped cultivate higher education talents in Guatemala.
In August, Taiwan preemptively withdrew from the Central American Parliament after the Nicaraguan parliamentary group forced through a proposal to eject Taiwan and include China. The news was a blow to Taiwan’s already diminished presence in the region.
Taiwan’s exclusion “harms the cooperation and friendship that the peoples of Taiwan and Central America have enjoyed for so many years,” Taiwan’s foreign ministry said. It highlights China’s desire to erode democracy in Central America and its expansionist goals in the region, the ministry added.
Source : Taiwan News
