June 3, 2023
No. 187
Republic of China (Taiwan) Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu met with a Tuvaluan delegation led by Minister for Justice, Communication and Foreign Affairs Simon Kofe and Mrs. Kofe at the Taipei Guest House on the afternoon of June 2. After the meeting, the ministers signed an agreement on diplomatic staff training cooperation and an agreement on technical cooperation. The agreements will establish a bilateral training and exchange mechanism for diplomatic personnel and expand collaboration in domains such as digital transformation, information and communications technology, and climate change, helping Minister Kofe realize his sustainable development goal of a digital nation.
In addition, Taiwan’s Minister of Justice Tsai Ching-hsiang and Minister Kofe signed a treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. They committed to jointly combating cross-border telecommunications fraud, organized crime, money laundering, and drug crimes so as to enforce the law, highlight legal justice, and create a comprehensive bilateral judicial assistance mechanism.
After the signing ceremony had concluded, Minister Wu hosted a banquet at the Taipei Guest House in honor of Minister Kofe, Mrs. Kofe, and the Tuvaluan delegation. Minister Wu delivered a speech welcoming Minister Kofe’s second visit Taiwan and expressing appreciation to the government of Tuvalu for having long spoken up staunchly for Taiwan in the international arena. He especially thanked Minister Kofe, who was undaunted by China’s unreasonable coercion during the 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference and conveyed steadfast support for Taiwan to the international community by withdrawing from the conference, inspiring deep gratitude in the government and people of Taiwan. Minister Wu emphasized that the government cherishes the diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Tuvalu and will continue to work with the Tuvaluan government to promote bilateral cooperation in all domains.
In his speech, Minister Kofe said that diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Tuvalu are so close that the people of the two countries are like members of the same family. He lauded Taiwan’s long-term assistance with Tuvalu’s civilian infrastructure, particularly the enhanced quality and security of information and communications infrastructure. Minister Kofe stated that shared values such as freedom and democracy are an important foundation of the Taiwan-Tuvalu diplomatic partnership. He also committed to further deepening bilateral cooperation in a number of areas on the basis of the existing solid partnership to jointly address geopolitical risks and challenges.
As the visit of Minister Kofe and Mrs. Kofe to Taiwan coincided with Minister Kofe’s birthday, Minister Wu spoke for the government and people of Taiwan in congratulating Minister Kofe on his birthday. Thanking Minister Wu for the warm reception and birthday celebration, Minister Kofe once again wished for everlasting friendship and diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Tuvalu. (E)