Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome dinner for Paraguayan delegation led by Congress and Senate President Núñez and his wife
November 6, 2024
No. 396
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a dinner banquet on November 5 to welcome a delegation from Paraguay led by Congress and Senate President Basilio Gustavo Núñez Giménez and his wife. The two sides exchanged views on a number of issues, including the deepening of bilateral diplomatic ties and enhancement of educational, public health, and economic and trade collaboration.
Minister Lin noted that Taiwan and Paraguay had achieved remarkable success in their cooperation across a broad range of domains. He pointed out that the various Taiwan scholarships and the Taiwan-Paraguay Polytechnic University had nurtured many professionals who contributed to national and social development in Paraguay and served as a bridge of friendship between the two countries. Minister Lin recalled his visit to Paraguay in August last year, when he accompanied then-Vice President Lai Ching-te to the inauguration of President Santiago Peña. He said that he was deeply impressed by Paraguay’s development and local customs and traditions.
Senate President Núñez stated that the visiting delegation, composed of members of the governing National Republican Association (or the Red Party) and the largest opposition Authentic Radical Liberal Party (or the Blue Party), was representative of public opinion and showed that Taiwan enjoyed staunch support among both the ruling and opposition parties. He thanked Taiwan for the many diverse projects it had implemented to benefit the Paraguayan economy and people’s livelihoods over the years. He specifically cited the health information system, which had reduced patient waiting time, improved health care quality, and automated pharmaceutical and medical supply management. He stated that Paraguay would continue to refer to Taiwan’s development success and experience and further broaden and deepen bilateral collaboration and exchanges.
Minister Lin and Senate President Núñez also engaged in in-depth discussions on bilateral economic, trade, and investment issues. Both sides agreed to leverage Paraguay’s membership in the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) to facilitate investment by Taiwan businesses in this market of nearly 300 million people and make use of attractive conditions such as a stable Paraguayan currency, low utility rates, tax incentives, and a large young labor force. They expressed optimism that the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project would support the global expansion of Taiwan’s industries while stimulating industrial development in allied nations, creating a win-win situation. (E)
