September 15, 2024
No. 304
A delegation from Tuvalu, one of Taiwan’s Pacific allies, led by Speaker of Parliament Sir Iakoba Taeia Italeli and his wife departed Taiwan on the evening of September 14 following a successful visit. They were seen off at the airport by Stephen Shu-chih Hsu, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, on behalf of the government of Taiwan.
During their visit, Speaker and Madam Italeli and the delegation called on President Lai Ching-te and Legislative Yuan President Han Kuo-yu. They also attended a reception hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung to mark the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Tuvalu, and a luncheon held by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang. Their trip successfully advanced parliamentary exchanges and deepened high-level interactions between the two countries.
Speaker Italeli was accompanied by Minister Lin when attending his engagement with President Lai. During the meeting, Speaker Italeli reiterated Tuvalu’s staunch support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, reaffirmed the robust bilateral diplomatic alliance, and underscored the genuine friendship that the parliament, government, and governing and opposition parties of Tuvalu share with Taiwan.
As the delegation was visiting on the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs arranged an egg yolk pastry-making activity for Speaker Italeli, providing an experience of Taiwan’s seasonal celebrations and traditional culture. Speaker Italeli was also deeply impressed by Taiwan’s rich history and cultural development after visiting Anping Old Fort, Tian Tan Temple, and other heritage sites in Tainan.
Tuvalu is an important Pacific ally of Taiwan. This was Speaker Italeli’s first visit to Taiwan since assuming office, and thus highly significant in terms of deepening parliamentary exchanges and strengthening the democratic values shared by the two countries. Building on their existing foundation of cooperation, Taiwan and Tuvalu will continue to improve the well-being of their peoples and jointly enhance prosperity and development in the Indo-Pacific region. (E)