Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez thanked Taiwan for its assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, and reiterated his firm support for the country yesterday.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) welcomed Abdo Benitez and his wife, Silvana Lopez Moreira, with a military salute in front of the Presidential Office Building yesterday, on their first visit in four years, and the first state visit since Abdo took office in 2018.
Tsai said the visit would boost cooperation between Taiwan and Paraguay in their mutual pursuit of economic prosperity after the pandemic.
Photo: Johnson Lai, AP
Abdo Benitez thanked Taiwan for providing timely help to Paraguay and the world during the pandemic, saying that he came to Taiwan “as a friend who is grateful.”
The government provided technical assistance to Paraguay in areas such as healthcare, education and human resource training, he said.
The relations between the two sides are growing stronger on the basis of economic, trade and cultural exchanges in the spirit of honesty and mutual assistance, Abdo Benitez said.
Paraguay and Taiwan allies and strategic partners that hope the world can be peaceful, democratic, sustainable, safe, free and full of development opportunities, he added.
“Close cooperation is the secret to a stable and long-term relationship between the two countries,” Abdo Benitez said.
Taiwanese have never given up the fight for freedom, sovereignty and peace despite facing continued threats, Abdo Benitez said, adding that Taiwan has been a beacon of democracy in the region.
Taiwan is a model to learn from as it is dedicated to promoting technology in the hope of making the world a better place through scientific advancements, he said.
Paraguay supports Taiwan’s participation in UN organizations, as it believes the country can make important contributions to help international society solve the hallenges faced by humanity today, such as poverty, climate change and terrorism, he said.
After the ceremony, Tsai and Vice President William Lai (賴清德) received Abdo Benitez, his wife, Paraguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs Julio Cesar Arriola and Paraguayan Minister of Industry and Commerce Luis Castiglion at the Presidential Office.
He thanked Taiwan for launching in 2021 the Assisting the Economic Empowerment of Women in Latin America and the Caribbean in the Post COVID-19 Era project, which helped Paraguay achieve the highest employment rate in the South American trade bloc Mercosur.
Taiwan’s assistance in the past three years helped Paraguay mitigate a drop in its economic growth, which fell by 0.8 percent, compared with the average fall of 7.4 percent across Latin American countries, Abdo Benitez said.
Bilateral trade between the two countries has more than tripled, Abdo Benitez said, adding that projects under a bilateral economic cooperation agreement signed in 2018 have helped Paraguay’s development.
The two presidents witnessed Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and Cesar sign an agreement to enhance diplomatic training, exchanges and cooperation before the Paraguayan delegation attended a state banquet hosted by Tsai.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS