VP Lai arrives in Paraguay to attend presidential inauguration

2023/08/16

Vice President Lai Ching-te and his delegation arrived in Paraguay Aug. 14 local time, a day before the inauguration of Santiago Pena Palacios as the South American ally’s new president.
 
Lai was welcomed by Paraguay’s Vice Foreign Minister Raul Silvero and received full military honors at the airport. As he arrived at the hotel, he was greeted by expatriates from Taiwan who had come to wish him well.
 
According to the Presidential Office, Lai later attended a luncheon with Silvio Ovelar and Raul Latorre, presidents of Paraguay’s Senate and Chamber of Deputies, respectively. The event was also attended by Gustavo Leite and Juan Manuel Anazco, respective chairs of the foreign affairs committees of the upper and lower houses.
 
During his speech, Lai said he was honored to serve as President Tsai Ing-wen’s envoy. He thanked the outgoing president, Mario Abdo Benitez, for promoting bilateral ties, and also congratulated the president-elect.
 
It is hoped that both countries will continue to leverage their robust friendship and deepen cooperation under the new president’s leadership, the vice president said, adding that he also looks forward to continuous support from the congress.
 
During his stopover in New York, Lai held an in-person discussion with young Taiwanese-Americans from various fields and also took in baseball and civil rights history at the Mets Hall of Fame and Museum before a baseball game between the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves, according to the PO. 


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