Taiwan’s International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) opened an office in Yangon, Myanmar, paving the way for closer ties between the two sides. That’s the word from ICDF deputy secretary general Morgan Chao Tuesday.
ICDF is a non-profit, government-sponsored NGO. Its goal is to help social and economic development in developing countries and offer humanitarian assistance to the needy.
The office will help raise Taiwan’s profile in the Southeast Asian country. Chao spoke on ICDF’s cooperative plan.
“The plan could be in the areas of agriculture, fisheries and photovoltaics. In the long term, we will help them build up [those industries]. In terms of strategy, we might invest [there] to reach the goal more quickly. By doing so, Taiwan’s influence will be more recognized by the Burmese government, which will lead to more business opportunities between Taiwan and Myanmar,” said Chao.
Chao said ICDF is not an official organization though he does not rule out forging closer ties with Myanmar on the diplomatic front.