Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo is to arrive in Taiwan tomorrow on his first trip to the diplomatic ally since taking office last year before traveling to Japan as part of an Asian tour.
The trip to Taiwan is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and attracting foreign investment, Arevalo told a news conference yesterday.
Photo: EPA-EFE
While in Taiwan, he said he is to meet with President William Lai (賴清德).
Representatives of the Guatemalan government-funded agency Proguate, which is responsible for attracting foreign investment, would also be on the trip, he said.
The agency is currently working on signing new trade agreements with Taiwan, Arevalo said.
The upcoming visit came after Lai invited Arevalo to visit Taiwan during a video conference following the latter's inauguration in January last year.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) also personally extended the invitation on behalf of Lai again during a visit to Guatemala in October last year.
Following his Taipei trip, the Guatemalan leader is to visit Japan to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
He is to participate in the Osaka World Expo, where Guatemala is to hold a "Guatemala Day" to highlight the Central American country's tourism and culture while seeking to attract Japanese investment, Arevalo said.
The Guatemalan president would also meet the emperor of Japan and hold an official summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba while in Tokyo, reflecting the importance of Guatemala-Japan ties.
The visit represents the government's effort to promote an active foreign policy focused on building strategic alliances that promote the country's sustainable development, Arevalo said.
Arevalo would be joined on his trip to Taiwan and Japan by Economics Minister Gabriela García, Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martínez, Private Secretary to the President Ana Glenda Tager and Social Communication Secretary Santiago Palomo.
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