VP Lai to lead Taiwan delegation to Paraguay for presidential inauguration

2023/07/19

Vice President Lai Ching-te is set to lead a Taiwan delegation to South America ally Paraguay for the presidential inauguration of Santiago Pena Palacios, according to the Presidential Office July 17.
 
Lai, set to arrive Aug. 14, will represent the government and people of Taiwan as President Tsai Ing-wen’s special envoy, the PO said. His itinerary in Paraguay includes the presidential inauguration Aug. 15, a celebration marking the 486th anniversary of the founding of the country’s capital city Asuncion, and a meeting with outgoing President Mario Abdo Benitez and Pena to exchange views on issues of mutual concern, the PO added.
 
Vice Foreign Minister Alexander Tah-ray Yui said during a news conference that the visit underscores the importance the government attaches to the Taiwan-Paraguay partnership. The promotion of summit diplomacy as well as the friendship between the two sides’ senior officials also plays a key role in the government’s international work, he added.
 
Citing delegations to Taiwan led by Abdo in February and Pena earlier this month, Yui said such visits have laid a solid foundation for increasingly close cooperation.
 
According to Yui, further details of the itinerary are still being finalized. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to work with other government agencies and Paraguay authorities to organize the upcoming trip, he said, adding that transit stops in the U.S. will be arranged according to precedent set by previous trips to South and Central America. 


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