Alexander Tah-ray Yui
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
November 18, 2022
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Ladies and gentlemen:
It is my great pleasure to have been invited to attend this reception hosted by the Commercial Office of the Sultanate of Oman in Taiwan to celebrate the 52nd National Day of Oman. On behalf of the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I would like to express our sincere congratulations to Oman and our Omani friends here tonight.
The Sultanate of Oman enjoys close political and economic ties with its Arab neighbors and is a stabilizing force in the region. Oman is also an important partner for Taiwan. Our partnership has continued to grow closer under the hard work of Representative Sulaiman. Oman is one of our major sources of crude oil. And in 2021, Oman was Taiwan’s 33rd-largest commercial partner, with total trade reaching 1.8 billion US dollars—almost double that of the record high in 2020.
Taiwan and Oman also collaborate in domains such as fishing, culture, education, athletics, and tourism, where six Omani officials have attended programs organized by Taiwan’s International Cooperation and Development Fund, with a variety of topics, including value-added agricultural and fisheries products, small and medium-sized enterprise development policy, medical quality management, smart cities, and smart pandemic prevention.
I am delighted that Oman’s Commercial Office participated in the 2022 Taipei International Travel Fair, leveraging the opportunity to introduce more people to the wonders of Oman. I am confident that, through efforts on both sides, the Taiwan-Oman partnership will become even stronger in the postpandemic era.
Please accept our best wishes for the continued prosperity for the Sultanate of Oman, may the friendship between our two nations continue to grow, and may the friends present here tonight enjoy the best of health and happiness. Thank you!