A delegation led by Tuvaluan Prime Minister Kausea Natano arrived in Taiwan early Saturday morning for a seven-day visit that will include a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (???) and other top Taiwanese government officials.
Speaking on his first visit to Taiwan after taking office in 2019, the 65-year-old Natano said he looked forward to meeting with Tsai and other officials from different government agencies to discuss issues of interest to both countries.
The delegation, which was welcomed by Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (???) at the airport, includes several ministerial officials such as Ampelosa Manoa Tehulu, who is responsible for issues related to infrastructure and the environment, as well as Kitiona Tausi, who is in charge of fishery and trade affairs, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
In its statement issued Saturday, MOFA said the president would officially welcome the Tuvaluan delegation with military honors ahead of a meeting in which both sides would exchange views on the regional situation and climate change.
As Taiwan and the Pacific island state will mark the 43rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations later in September, Natano and Wu will sign a joint communiqué to reaffirm bilateral diplomatic ties, MOFA said.
During their week-long stay, MOFA said, the delegation will sign two agreements that would serve as a basis for bilateral police and coast guard cooperation with Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior and the Ocean Affairs Council, respectively.
MOFA added that the delegation would also ink a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kaohsiung-based National Sun Yat-sen University, which would pave the way for bilateral collaborations on education and maritime research.
The delegation from Tuvalu, one of 14 states to still maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, will be in Taipei until Sept. 9.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel