Sixteen diplomatic allies spoke out for the Republic of China (ROC) at the annual debate of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly, which concluded on Tuesday, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said yesterday.
Heads of state, high-ranking government officials and representatives from the 16 allies spoke out in support of Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and recognized the contributions the nation has made, Catherine Hsu (徐詠梅), deputy head of the ministry’s Department of International Organizations, told a press briefing.
Hsu said the diplomatic allies called for more opportunities for meaningful ROC participation in UN specialist organizations amid improving relations across the Taiwan Strait.
They also expressed appreciation for Taiwan’s contributions to helping its allies achieve Millennium Development Goals by 2015 and encouraged positive interaction between the two sides of the Strait in international organizations.
Hsu expressed gratitude to the allies for their support.
The theme of this year’s UN General Assembly session was “The Post-2015 Development Agenda: Setting the Stage.”
In line with the theme, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York (TECO-New York), in conjunction with the Academic Council on the UN System, will hold a seminar on Friday next week titled “Health in the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda.”
During the seminar, TECO-New York is scheduled to give a briefing on Taiwan’s experience and achievements in pursuing international cooperation and expanding its participation in UN-related organizations and activities.
Asked whether the ministry had issued a response after Nicaraguan Minister of Foreign Affairs Samuel Santos Lopez sparked concern in some circles in Taipei by referring to Taiwan as “China-Taiwan” in a statement to the 68th UN General Assembly on Monday, Hsu said that to the nation’s diplomatic allies, “China” stands for “the Republic of China,” not “the People’s Republic of China.”
There is no need to misinterpret the implications of the words, Hsu said, adding that the ministry is grateful to Nicaragua for speaking up for Taiwan during the assembly.
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