President Ma Ying-jeou met with a delegation from the Guatemalan Congress on Thursday.
During the meeting, Ma said that Taiwan and Guatemala have long cooperated in fields such as health, education, and the construction of infrastructure.
"This cooperation is a direct response to the needs of your country’s people. To take cooperation in the field of medicine for example, we’ve worked with the social welfare bureau of your first lady’s office since 2012 to bring medicine to remote areas," said Ma. "Altogether, there have been 100 mobile medical clinics. We’ve also donated ambulances, wheelchairs, and medical supplies. Our two countries have worked together happily," he said.
Ma also said that Taiwan has responded immediately to the many natural disasters that have struck Guatemala over the past ten years with donations of aid. Ma said that Taiwan hopes to be an international donor of humanitarian aid.
In response to Guatemalan interest in Taiwan’s organ transplant expertise, Ma told the delegation that he has invited a Taiwanese authority on liver transplants to help set up a liver transplant center in Guatemala.
Ma thanked Guatemala for its support of Taiwan on the international stage. He said he hopes that with Guatemalan backing, Taiwan will be able to join international organizations. He said that in the future, he hopes that Taiwan will be able to participate in activities organized under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).