October 10, 2024
No. 346
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung and his wife hosted a welcome luncheon on October 9 for a delegation from the Republic of Guatemala led by First Lady Lucrecia Peinado. On behalf of the government, Minister Lin warmly welcomed First Lady Peinado on her first visit to Taiwan and thanked her for representing President Bernardo Arévalo at the 2024 National Day celebrations, thereby enhancing bilateral diplomatic relations.
Minister Lin stated that Taiwan and Guatemala were loyal partners that had enjoyed remarkable success in joint endeavors in such domains as public health, medicine, agricultural technology, higher education, and basic infrastructure. He pointed out that under proactive efforts by the governments of the two countries, economic and trade exchanges had grown closer. Noting that numerous Taiwanese businesses were interested in investing and setting up manufacturing facilities in Guatemala, Minister Lin said that this was a concrete outcome of economic and trade diplomacy promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in its implementation of integrated diplomacy.
First Lady Peinado conveyed President Arévalo’s congratulations on Taiwan’s National Day and thanked Taiwan for its long-standing assistance to Guatemala’s development in various areas. Emphasizing that Taiwan was an important member of the global community, she said that Guatemala would continue supporting Taiwan’s international participation. First Lady Peinado reaffirmed the importance that President Arévalo placed on attracting business investment, as well as his keen interest in developing the semiconductor sector. She expressed the hope that the two countries would further deepen cooperation and jointly help transform Guatemala into a technologically advanced country.
Minister Lin and First Lady Peinado also exchanged in-depth views on several issues, including women’s empowerment, care for disadvantaged groups, talent cultivation, and bilateral collaboration. Both agreed that Taiwan and Guatemala, building on the existing solid foundation, would continue to bolster reciprocal and mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation. (E)