President Tsai praises Taiwan-Marshall Islands relations

2019/03/06

President Tsai Ing-wen said March 4 that the government is committed to strengthening Taiwan-Marshall Islands ties through expanded cooperation across a broad spectrum of areas.
 
 Taiwan and the Marshall Islands are like-minded countries sharing values such as freedom and democracy, as well as a deep respect for human rights and rules-based order, Tsai said. They also have a long history of working together on collaborative projects in areas spanning culture, education, health care and infrastructure for the benefit of the people, she added.
 
 Tsai made the remarks while receiving Marshall Islands Nitijela Speaker Kenneth A. Kedi at the Office of the President in Taipei City. Kedi is leading a delegation from the Pacific nation on a four-day cultural, economic and political fact-finding tour.
 
 According to Tsai, the Marshall Islands is a firm friend of Taiwan as illustrated by the Nitijela’s passage last month of a resolution reaffirming bilateral ties and praising Taiwan for promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.
 
 The government and 23 million people of Taiwan are grateful for this backing, Tsai said, adding that this extends to regular calls for the country to participate in international organizations like the World Health Assembly—the decision-making body of the World Health Organization.
 
 Disease knows no boundary, and Taiwan’s absence from a recent WHO meeting on flu vaccines in China violates the people’s right to health, Tsai said. It also weakens health security by undermining the Global Outbreak and Response Network, she added.
 
 As a responsible member of the international community, Tsai said Taiwan will continue seeking meaningful participation in relevant events and organizations so as to ensure the rights of the people and contribute to global health.
 
 According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan-Marshall Islands relations have gone from strength to strength since the establishment of official ties in 1998. The countries concluded an agreement on promoting Austronesian languages and cultural affairs in January, as well as an agreement on policing and another pact on strategic cooperation in November 2018.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)