Amb. Miguel Li-jey Tsao
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
December 1, 2020
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Ladies and gentlemen:
On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan), it is a great pleasure to preside over the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Volunteering between Taiwan and Israel. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Representative Caspi and the government of Israel; Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare and Ministry of Education; and all of our other partners who helped make this possible.
Having advanced along similar lines, Taiwan and Israel hold immense respect for democratic values. Our peoples are very creative and hardworking. They enjoy life to the fullest and proactively contribute to our societies. These commonalities have brought us closer together, with people-to-people exchanges increasing steadily in recent years. We have added a new dimension to our partnership by deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in humanitarian and charitable endeavors and volunteer exchanges.
More and more Taiwanese youth are showing a strong interest in world affairs and actively participating in international activities, with the hope of contributing to the global village. Israel is a popular destination among Taiwanese young people. Under the Volunteer in Israel program, 1,000 youth from about 45 nations volunteer at social welfare institutions in Israel each year. Taiwan forms one of the largest sources of Asian youths participating in this program, and Aleh Negev, which joins us today, has received the most Taiwanese volunteers in Israel. Having heard these volunteers’ stories in Israel, especially the part facilitating the joy of outdoor activities for the physically-disabled, they have learned that supporting and accompanying people in need is not only about service work itself, but about love and mutual growth.
We thank the Israeli government for the cordial treatment provided to our volunteers during their stay in Israel. We also greatly appreciate the Taiwanese participants for serving as model youth ambassadors. I am sure all of you have wonderful memories of your service in Israel.
In closing, I would like to once again thank everyone for attending today’s event, and wish you all the best of health and happiness. Thank you.