Following two weeks of training in Taipei, 50 “youth ambassadors” taking part in an annual Ministry of Foreign Affairs outreach program are to embark on a 12-day trip to diplomatic allies Belize and Guatemala this week.
The 50 undergraduate students selected for the International Youth Ambassadors Exchange Program are to leave for their trip to Central America tomorrow and participate in a range of activities, such as seminars, volunteer work and cultural exchanges, the ministry said.
At a send-off ceremony in Taipei on Friday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) encouraged the students to “boost awareness of Taiwan” and help “further bilateral relations” between Taiwan and the two Central American countries.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The exchanges would “deepen the bonds” between Taiwan and its two allies and “elevate the role that Taiwan plays in the international community,” Lin said.
“Everyone can be a diplomat,” he said. “I think you will represent our country with pride and dignity.”
The youth ambassadors are to stay in Belize from Wednesday to Sunday and in Guatemala from Sunday to Thursday next week, the ministry said.
Belizean Ambassador to Taiwan Candice Pitts said the program provides young people with “the experiences, the exposure and the wherewithal that [they] may need to be active participants in global affairs.”
“Since young people are our future, it is imperative that we involve them in the practice of diplomacy, so that they can learn to manage international relationships and collaborate to address and solve the problems of our world,” Pitts said.
Meanwhile, Guatemalan Ambassador to Taiwan Oscar Adolfo Padilla Lam said the students’ upcoming visit to his country would help “strengthen the deep friendship that has existed for more than 90 years between Guatemala and the Republic of China.”
Guatemala, which established diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1933, remained “an ally and a staunch friend who unwaveringly supports Taiwan” and its international participation, he said.
This year’s youth ambassadors, all of whom are Taiwanese aged 18 to 35, were selected for their strong command of English or Spanish, outstanding academic performances or special talents in the arts, the ministry said.
Initiated in 2009, more than 1,800 students have been selected for the International Youth Ambassadors program, it added.
Belize and Guatemala are among the 12 countries that formally recognize Taiwan. Half of them are in Central America and the Caribbean.
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