New Taipei City and Jaluit Atoll in the Marshall Islands on Sunday inked a pact to establish sisterhood ties, with New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine and Jaluit Atoll Mayor Alington Robert signing a memorandum of understanding at New Taipei City Hall.
Stressing that her visit to Taiwan is aimed at bolstering bilateral relations, Heine said that her country needs to upgrade and sharpen its economic foundation to create jobs.
She called for closer economic ties between the two nations, and said she would continue to speak up for Taiwan internationally and share her nation’s stories with Taiwanese.
Photo: CNA
Hou congratulated the Marshall Islands’ election as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, describing it as internationally recognized proof of the country’s contributions to human rights and democracy.
He expressed hope that the two countries would continue to fight for human rights and democracy, and to achieve progress in combating climate change.
Heine, accompanied by Marshall Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs John Silk and Marshall Islands Minister of Natural Resources and Commerce Dennis Momotaro, arrived in Taiwan on Thursday for a four-day visit.
Witnessed by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Heine, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and Silk signed an agreement on trade and economic cooperation at the Presidential Office on Friday.
Heine on Friday also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Office of Commerce, Investment and Tourism of the Marshall Islands and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council on the promotion of bilateral trade and tourism.
The Marshall Islands is one of Taiwan’s 15 diplomatic allies and one of four in the Pacific.
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