Paraguay’s President-elect Santiago Peña met with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) as part of his five-day visit to Taiwan. The meeting which took place on Wednesday morning, marked 66 years since Paraguay and Taiwan established diplomatic ties and Peña’s first trip to Asia since winning the 2023 general election.
In his speech, Peña said he came to Taiwan five weeks before taking office to express his deepest gratitude to Taiwan for their friendship and support. He says that over the next five years, Paraguay will continue to firmly stand by Taiwan. Peña adds this is his and the Paraguayan people’s firmest promise.
Tsai says she is grateful for Paraguay’s continued support and that the visit represents a new chapter in Paraguay-Taiwan cooperation. She adds that she looks forward to both sides continuing their contribution to maintaining global peace and stability.
Over the years, Taiwan and Paraguay have continuously deepened their partnerships in various fields, such as medical care, women's empowerment, business development, and education. It is believed there will also be future cooperation in industries including electric vehicles, food processing, and textiles.
In his final remarks, Peña invited Tsai to visit Paraguay as her first overseas destination after leaving office.