Guatemala president arrives in Taiwan for four-day state visit
ROC Central News Agency
04/24/2023 11:09 AM
Taipei, April 24 (CNA) President of Guatemala Alejandro Giammattei arrived in Taiwan on Monday for his first ever state visit to reaffirm his country's support for the ally amid intensified cross-strait tensions.
Giammattei arrived at Taoyuan International Airport at around 5:30 a.m. to the welcome of Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮). He did not make a public statement upon arrival.
Before departing for the four-day visit from Monday through Thursday, Giammattei said in a Saturday tweet that he had prepared "suitcases full of emotions and good news to strengthen the ties and brotherhood between our nations."
"We are also going to Taiwan to send a very clear message to the world that countries have the right to govern themselves" and "their own territories will not be threatened," Giammattei said in the video on his Twitter account.
According to Taiwan's government, the April 24-27 state visit will be President Giammattei's first to Taiwan under his presidency. He had previously visited Taiwan in October 2019 as president-elect.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) will welcome Giammattei with full military honors and a state banquet, and will confer upon him the Order of Brilliant Jade with Grand Cordon, according to Presidential Office spokeswoman Olivia Lin (林聿禪).
Instituted in 1933, it is the highest order presented by the Republic of China (ROC), the official name of Taiwan, and can be worn only by a head of state.
According to Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃), Giammattei is also scheduled to deliver an address to the Legislative Yuan on Tuesday.
It will mark the first time in 13 years that a head of state from a foreign country will make a speech at Taiwan's top lawmaking body.
The last time a foreign head of state made an address at the Legislative Yuan was in June 2010 when Anote Tong, then president of Taiwan's former Pacific ally Kiribati, visited.
To show courtesy to Giammattei, who cannot walk for too long because of his multiple sclerosis health condition, You said the Legislative Yuan will open its gate to allow Giammattei's car to drive directly into the compound as close to the Assembly Hall as possible to make his address.
During his visit, Tsai will also accompany Giammattei to visit RAC Electric Vehicles in Taichung and attend an event in Taipei marking the beginning of a month-long celebration of Guatemalan coffee culture and a coffee truck's journey around Taiwan, Lin said.
Members of Giammattei's delegation will include Congressional President Shirley Joanna Rivera Zaldaña, Foreign Minister Mario Adolfo Búcaro Flores, Minister of Public Finance Edwin Oswaldo Martínez Cameros, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Edgar René de León Moreno, and Minister of the Economy Janio Moacyr Rosales Alegría.
Giammattei's upcoming visit came after Tsai concluded a state visit to Guatemala and Belize earlier this month with stopovers in the United States before and after the trip.
Among the 13 countries that recognize the ROC (Taiwan) instead of the People's Republic of China, Guatemala and Belize are the only two in Central America, after Honduras switched allegiance to China late last month.
(By Joseph Yeh)
Enditem/cs
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
