Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei on Saturday reaffirmed his country’s friendship with Taiwan and announced a plan to visit Taiwan at the end of the month during President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) trip to the Central American ally.
He reiterated Guatemala’s “firm promise” to continue voicing support for Taiwan on the international stage, calling on the world to acknowledge Taiwan’s sovereignty and realize its true value, adding: “Go Taiwan, long live Taiwan.”
Taiwan is the only country that has always stood by Guatemala, for better or for worse, never abandoning the nation, he said at a banquet held by Tsai’s delegation on Saturday night to thank Guatemala for its hospitality.
Photo: Screen grab from Giammattei’s Twitter account
Solidarity is needed in this chaotic world, he added.
“If Taiwan has only one diplomatic ally left in Latin America, it must be Guatemala,” Giammattei said he once told a Latin American president who commented on the decreasing number of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies.
He called on Taiwan and Guatemala to further bolster their ties, saying he hoped to see direct flights between the two nations soon to “allow Taiwanese people to be closer to [the whole of] Latin America through Guatemala, and allow all Latin Americans to know Taiwan better through Guatemala.”
Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office
Tsai thanked Giammattei for accompanying her throughout her visit, saying that it was impressive to see the country’s growth, especially its respect and love for its historical sites and nature.
Giammattei’s planning and implementation of epidemic prevention measures has been admirable, she said, adding that the two nations should explore cooperative programs on women’s empowerment.
It was a significant and meaningful visit, as the delegation saw the outcomes of long-term cooperation with Guatemala and the trip created more opportunities for cooperation, she said.
Earlier on Saturday Tsai toured Tikal National Park, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 because of its Mesoamerican ruins and the unique ecology of the surrounding jungle.
Accompanied by Giammattei and Guatemalan Minister of Foreign Affairs Mario Bucaro, Tsai watched a Mayan ball game and an invocation ceremony, and the two presidents exchanged gifts, in front of the Temple of Ah Cacao, a limestone pyramid that dates back to about 732 AD and is the tomb of a ruler of that era.
Tsai said she hoped that diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Guatemala would last forever.
Referring to the park’s Mayan ruins that are more than 3,000 years old, she said: “3,000 years are not too much.”
Tasi and Bucaro climbed 38m to the top of another Mayan pyramid called the Temple of the Masks, on which they stood waving to Giammattei, who did not make the climb because he has multiple sclerosis.
Before leaving for Belize today, Tsai yesterday planned to visit the Chimaltenango National Hospital, which was built with the help of a US$22 million donation from Taiwan.
She is scheduled to meet Belizean Prime Minister John Briceno today and stop over in Los Angeles on Wednesday before returning to Taiwan.
Additional reporting by CNA
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