Li-kuo Chen
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
June 27, 2024
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Ladies and gentlemen:
Good afternoon!
It is a pleasure to meet with Minister Abdi. On behalf of the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I extend a sincere welcome to you.
Building upon shared values of freedom and democracy, Taiwan and Somaliland mutually established representative offices in 2020.
Over the past few years, our cooperation has strengthened, achieving fruitful results in areas such as education, healthcare, agriculture, ICT, business, trade, and energy and mineral resources.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation for the government of Somaliland’s support for all our endeavors.
The 2nd Taiwan-Somaliland Joint Working Group on Energy and Mineral Resources Cooperation Meeting is due to be held on June 28 in Taiwan.
This follows the signing of an agreement on energy and mineral resources between our two nations in 2022 and a first successful meeting in Somaliland last year.
I am sure that the forthcoming meeting will not only facilitate mutually beneficial cooperation on exploring the extraction of oil, gas, and strategic minerals in Somaliland; it will also solidify Somaliland’s sovereignty and bolster international recognition.
Furthermore, looking ahead, capacity building projects such as the 2024 Taiwan-Somaliland Oil and Gas Exploration Training Program and various scholarships offered by Taiwan can do much to support Somaliland’s pursuit of stability and prosperity throughout the Horn of Africa.
Somaliland has so much to offer the world and there is great potential for your nation to join the democratic supply chain of energy and mineral resources.
I am positive that, in the years ahead, we can work together to realize this worthwhile goal. And as we do so, we can further deepen bilateral relations in the energy and mineral resources sector, improving the well-being of the people of Taiwan and Somaliland for the mutual benefit of both our nations.
Once again, I welcome you to Taiwan, and I wish you a pleasant and productive stay. Thank you!