October 13, 2024
No. 352
A visit to Taiwan by Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Penitala Teo and Madame Tausaga Teo concluded as their delegation departed on the evening of October 12. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Director General Peter Sha-li Lan was present at the airport to bid farewell to the delegation on behalf of the government of Taiwan.
In addition to meeting with President Lai Ching-te and attending a banquet hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, Prime Minister Teo was a guest of honor at Taiwan’s National Day celebrations and associated functions.
In his meeting with President Lai, Prime Minister Teo emphasized that Tuvalu cherished its 45-year alliance with Taiwan. He said that Tuvalu would continue to staunchly support Taiwan in expanding its international participation and speak up for Taiwan in the international arena, demonstrating the Tuvaluan government’s true friendship with Taiwan.
Given the close cooperation on fisheries between Taiwan and Tuvalu and Prime Minister Teo’s many years of service in posts at international fisheries organizations, MOFA also organized a special itinerary that took Prime Minister Teo and his delegation south to Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s deep-sea fishing center. Prime Minister Teo met with Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai to discuss a sister-city agreement between Kaohsiung and Funafuti, Tuvalu’s capital city, and attended a reception to interact with representatives from Taiwan’s deep-sea fisheries sector. The event successfully advanced connections between high-level Tuvaluan officials and Taiwan’s fisheries industry, laying a solid foundation for the deepening of bilateral fisheries cooperation going forward.
As Tainan continues to celebrate its 400th anniversary of establishment throughout 2024, MOFA also arranged for Prime Minister Teo to visit the city once again. Deputy Mayor Yeh Tse-shan was present to welcome Prime Minister Teo and his delegation. During their stay in Tainan, the group paid a visit to Anping Old Fort, where Taiwan’s rich history and culture and the warm hospitality of the people of Tainan left a deep impression on the visitors.
Tuvalu is a key ally of Taiwan in the Pacific. This visit—Prime Minister Teo’s second trip to Taiwan since taking office in February—proved to be greatly significant in terms of strengthening bilateral ties. Based on their solid existing foundation of cooperation in such areas as information and communication security, climate change adaptation, medicine and healthcare, women’s empowerment, and offshore fisheries, the two countries will continue to work together to advance the well-being of their peoples and jointly promote prosperity and development in the Indo-Pacific region. (E)