Belize and Taiwan Sign Cooperative Agreement

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen left the country today. She will meet with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy tomorrow. During her three-day visit to Belize, President Tsai managed to further strengthen ties between Belize and Taiwan. On Monday, a Technical Cooperation Framework Agreement was signed, which will serve to establish further cooperation programs between Belize and Taiwan. Prime Minister John Briceno said that this agreement will help Belize grow in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, technology, and other sectors. 

Hon. John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize: “This agreement will serve to further establish cooperation programs in areas such as agriculture, forestry, technology, education, climate change, youth and women, health, tourism and other areas of mutual interest. Likewise it is a reflection of the many projects our two countries are presently engaged in as we continue to strengthen our bilateral relations. Belize and Taiwan share a longstanding friendship that spans almost thirty four years. For thirty two years of those years a Taiwan technical mission has been assisting us implementing these initiatives which help to support our country’s growth and development. Currently there are several ongoing cooperation initiatives between our governments. Taiwan has offered its technical and scientific expertise in numerous areas in Belize. One of the newest initiatives in agriculture is the sheep and goat breeding project. This project lends its guidance in enhancing Belize’s sheep and goat production and opportunities for commerce. The Government of Taiwan has also provided much needed cooperation assistance in the health sector one of which has the goal of strengthening the medical imaging system of Belize.”

During the ceremony, President Tsai presented Prime Minister Briceño with a donation of 5,000 laptops from Taiwanese manufacturers. She says the laptops are to assist Belize in improving learning resources for vulnerable groups such as children and women in rural areas. 

Dr. Tsai Ing-Wen, President of the Republic of China (Taiwan): “In the past few years we have seen young Belizeans continue to apply for scholarships to study in Taiwan. I’m always heartened by how enthusiastic they are about education and recognize it’s importance for one’s future. In a moment we’ll mark the handing over of five thousand laptops with Prime Minister Briceño. I hope these laptops make a difference to young Belizeans in their quest for knowledge and help them realize their educational aspirations. Prime Minister Briceño and I had extensive discussions on these two projects when he was in Taiwan last year. It is encouraging to see these projects taking shape in Belize. In addition technical projects are essential to bettering the lives of our citizens therefore I’m also delighted to bear witness to our foreign ministers sining an agreement that will streamline and strengthen our bilateral technical cooperation. A look forward to more cooperation in the many years to come.”