Taiwan’s embassy in Haiti continues to function normally, despite escalating violence in the Caribbean nation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, adding that the government is helping procure bulletproof vests and other protective gear for the Haitian National Police.
In addition to gang violence, the Haitian government is reeling from nationwide unrest triggered by inflation, an oil price hike and a humanitarian crisis caused by a cholera outbreak, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) told a weekly news conference.
The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously approved a resolution demanding an immediate end to the violence in Haiti and has imposed a series of punitive sanctions on a notorious street gang leader.
While fuel, water and power shortages have caused Japan and other countries to temporarily close their embassies in Haiti or adjust office hours, Taiwan’s embassy has continued operating normally, Ou said.
“Our embassy in Haiti is keeping in close contact with Taiwanese businesspeople and expatriates, as well as members of technical teams dispatched by the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund. All of them are safe at the moment, so are employees at the embassy and their family members,” she said.
“We are closely monitoring the situation in Haiti and will respond in a proper and cautious manner,” she added.
In addition, the government is procuring Taiwan-made bulletproof vests and other protective gear for the Haitian National Police to help it fight gangsters, Ou said, adding that it is working with US nonprofit organization Food for the Poor to supply rice.
In other developments, Ou said that the Taipei Representative Office in Italy, on behalf of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), sent official congratulations to new Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni when she was sworn in on Saturday, Ou said.
The chairwoman of the Brothers of Italy was appointed prime minister after the nationalst-
conservative party won a parliamentary election last month.
“We look forward to working closely with the Italian government led by Prime Minister Meloni to deepen our friendship in various fields,” Ou said.
Prior to the parliamentary election, Meloni had told the Central News Agency in an exclusive interview last month that Taiwan is a strategic trading partner of Italy and the EU.
Italy and other democratic countries have unanimously condemned China for its military threat to Taiwan, Meloni said, adding that Taiwan would be a primary matter of concern in Italy.
Meloni had also said in other interviews that Italy would continue to support Ukraine and is committed to maintaining international order, Ou said.
“We welcome Prime Minister Meloni’s remarks on the importance of maintaining regional peace and stability, and affirm Taiwan’s status as a strategic trading partner of Italy,” Ou said.
“As the world is experiencing drastic changes in geopolitics, Taiwan will form partnerships with Italy and other like-minded countries to jointly defy the expansion and the threat of authoritarian regimes,” she said.
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