Honduran Ambassador to Taiwan says he hopes to improve bilateral cooperation on infrastructure, specifically on hydroelectric dams in Honduras. Ambassador Harold Burgos made the comments during an exclusive interview with Radio Taiwan International. He was interviewed in both Spanish and English.
The comments come after it was revealed that the Honduran government has been in talks with China about financing its Patuca II hydroelectric dam. The situation was clarified in comments by Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Renia last Thursday. Reina had met with Chinese Vice Minister Xie Feng (謝鋒) in Brazil, as both attended the inauguration of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The meeting had raised speculations about Honduras switching diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China, and prompted a statement of concern from the Taiwan foreign ministry. China previously financed the Patuca III dam project with a loan of about US$300 million.
In the interview, Ambassador Burgos also discussed additional areas of cooperation with Taiwan, such as improving trade in Honduras’ primary exports of white shrimp and coffee. He said he appreciated the financial support Taiwan has given to the USAID-led Expanding Access to Education initiative. Ambassador Burgos himself had studied at Taiwan’s National Chengchi University as an undergrad. The interview will debut on RTI’s YouTube show “Taiwan Insider” this Thursday.