Paraguayan president-elect Santiago Pena said during a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in Taipei yesterday that his administration would continue to stand with Taiwan and strive to boost bilateral relations.
Pena, who is scheduled to be sworn in next month, made the pledge at the meeting that included some of Paraguay’s future officials, including foreign minister-designate Ruben Ramirez Lezcano and finance minister-designate Carlos Fernandez Valdovinos.
During a meeting earlier the same day with Vice President William Lai (賴清德), who is the Democratic Progressive Party’s nominee in January’s presidential election, Pena also pledged his “full support” for Paraguay’s diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the Presidential Office said in a statement.
Photo: AFP / the Presidential Office
Maintaining diplomatic relations with Taiwan is in the best interests of Paraguay, Pena said, adding that he would continue promoting bilateral relations based on the 66 years of friendship between the two nations.
The visit by the Paraguayan delegation from Tuesday to Saturday serves to demonstrate that Paraguay and Taiwan would continue to insist on their shared values, ideals and goals, despite facing many challenges, Pena told Tsai at the Presidential Office in Taipei, without elaborating.
“I come to ... reaffirm my commitment, our commitment as Paraguayans to be on the side of the people of Taiwan for the next five years,” he said.
Pena also praised Tsai for “knowing that principles and values are not negotiable.”
Pena said he studied in Taiwan in 1999 and that he was bringing “the love and affection of all the Paraguayan people,” while also extending an invitation to Tsai to visit Paraguay after she leaves office next year.
While thanking Taiwan’s government for its decades-long financial and economic backing of Paraguay, Pena called for Taipei’s continued support as his administration works to reduce poverty and develop the country.
The new administration’s priorities include providing better healthcare and education to young people in Paraguay, and creating 500,000 jobs over the next five years by attracting foreign investment and rolling out public infrastructure projects, Pena said.
Without going into detail, he also called for Taiwan’s assistance with a program that would allow about 200,000 Paraguayans to get loans to improve their living conditions.
Meanwhile, Tsai, who spoke before Pena, said she looked forward to seeing more cooperation between Taiwan and Paraguay in areas such as electric vehicles, food processing and textiles.
In the face of authoritarian expansion, Taiwan and Paraguay should work together with democratic partners to contribute to global peace and stability, she added.
Asuncion is one of the few remaining capitals in Latin America to still recognize Taiwan. Panama, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras have all switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in recent years.
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