The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to launch two training programs next year for people from 16 countries covered by the New Southbound Policy to strengthen their start-up capabilities and make agricultural businesses more efficient.
The ministry has asked the International Cooperation and Development Fund to set up the courses, Department of International Cooperation and Economic Affairs Director-General Phoebe Yeh (葉非比) said yesterday.
One of the courses is to focus on helping young people from the 10 ASEAN members and six South Asian countries to start their own small businesses, while the other is to show them how to use technology to improve agriculture, Yeh said.
The courses are expected to train a total of 45 people, Yeh said, adding that they would deepen the nation’s cooperation with these countries and help Taiwanese businesses explore opportunities there.
The ministry is to launch another 17 courses next year to meet some of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, Yeh said.
Those courses are to help 375 officials, experts and entrepreneurs from 46 countries address goals No. 2 (eliminating hunger), No. 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), No. 10 (reducing inequality) and No. 17 (partnerships to achieve the goals).
The New Southbound Policy was launched after President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) assumed office in May 2016, and is aimed at reducing the nation’s economic dependence on China.
It is aimed at forging closer ties with the 10 members of ASEAN and countries in South Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand.
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