Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (???) and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) Executive President Dante Mossi signed an agreement in Taipei Monday pledging US$26 million to promote women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship.
Under the agreement, Taiwan ICDF, a development aid agency funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), will form a US$10 million Credit Guarantee Fund as well as provide a US$16 million preferential loan to CABEI.
Wu said that the agreement was meant to promote economic recovery and empowerment of women in Latin America and the Caribbean in the post-pandemic era and offer technical assistance and inclusive financing to women in the region.
Meanwhile, Wu also conferred the Order of Brilliant Star with Purple Grand Cordon on Mossi, who arrived in Taiwan on Sunday for a six-day visit, in recognition of his contributions to Taiwan-CABEI cooperation since assuming office as CABEI executive president in 2018.
The trip marks the one-year anniversary of the opening of CABEI’s Taiwan office and the 30th anniversary of Taiwan becoming a member of CABEI in 1992, according to MOFA.
In accepting the honor, Mossi thanked Taiwan for its long-term support and friendship, in particular over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier Monday, Mossi was received by President Tsai Ing-wen (???) in the Presidential Office, where Tsai said she looked forward to even closer cooperation between her country and CABEI in post-pandemic era.
On Wednesday, Mossi is set to inaugurate the CABEI Country Office in Taiwan.
The inauguration ceremony was originally scheduled for 2021, however, this was canceled after a domestic outbreak of COVID-19 in Taiwan.
Founded in 1960 by Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, CABEI is a regional multilateral development financial institution that offers resources to projects that foster regional development, reduce poverty and inequality, and strengthen regional integration.
Guatemala and Honduras maintain diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan’s official name).
The other three founding members of CABEI are former diplomatic allies that broke off relations with the ROC within the last 15 years.
Taiwan became a nonregional member country of CABEI in 1992 and holds an 11.09-percent stake in the bank, the highest among the body’s seven nonregional members.
Source : Focus Taiwan News Channel