Li-kuo Chen
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
September 15, 2023
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Ladies and gentlemen:
It is a pleasure to host this banquet in honor of the delegation from the Republic of Somaliland led by Dr. Adan. On behalf of the people and government of Taiwan, I extend my warmest welcome to you all.
Dr. Adan is among the recipients of this year’s Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation Fervent Global Love of Lives awards. She will be meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen to deliver an acceptance speech on behalf of all the awardees. In addition, we look forward to the Mandarin edition of Dr. Adan’s autobiography, A Woman of Firsts, which will be available soon. Dr. Adan, I sincerely congratulate you for these remarkable achievements.
As like-minded partners, Taiwan and Somaliland mutually established representative offices in 2020. Since that time, based on our shared values of freedom and democracy, we have strengthened collaboration and achieved remarkable results in domains such as healthcare, agriculture, ICT, and education. Together, we are also working toward peace, cooperation, and resilience in our respective regions. I would like to express my appreciation for your support.
Through joint efforts, I am confident that we will further deepen bilateral relations in the years to come, enhancing the well-being of our peoples and the prosperity of our nations.
Once again, I welcome you all to Taiwan. I wish the delegation a pleasant and productive stay. May the staunch friendship between Taiwan and Somaliland continue to grow and flourish. Thank you!