Taiwan deepens links with Tuvalu

2024/12/06

President Lai Ching-te expressed gratitude to the government of Tuvalu for pledging to further advance bilateral ties.

Lai made the remarks Dec. 4 in the capital, Funafuti, while attending a luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Feleti Teo. Lai and Teo inked a joint communique to declare a mutual commitment to deepening the comprehensive partnership, and Lai witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the construction of an undersea cable to improve Tuvalu’s communications capacity by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung and his counterpart Paulson Panapa, minister for foreign affairs, labor and trade.

During his meeting with Governor-General Tofiga Falani in the afternoon, the president said that the two countries both face challenges due to climate change, adding that Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand are actively collaborating on a coast adaptation project in Tuvalu to enhance its resilience to extreme weather.

Lai also announced that construction work on the allied nation’s parliamentary building is set to begin in the first half of 2025, with Taiwan participating in the project to demonstrate the value it places on supporting democracy. The president continued that a group of representatives from the Pacific ally would visit Taiwan to gain insight into bilateral projects, as part of the efforts to upgrade overall links.

According to the Presidential Office, Lai concluded his Tuvalu trip in the afternoon and arrived at Guam International Airport in the evening local time. He was welcomed by Ingrid Larson, managing director at the American Institute in Taiwan, and Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero, governor of Guam, the PO added.


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