Source: Republic of China Taiwan
November 24, 2025
No. 491
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung met with a delegation from Paraguay led by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Víctor Alfredo Verdún Bitar on the morning of November 24. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Baushuan Ger hosted a luncheon for the group, extending a warm welcome to the visitors on behalf of the government of Taiwan. The delegation included Director General of Bilateral Policy Raúl Mariano Martínez Villalba and Director General of Press Advisory Services Osmar Gómez Román.
In his remarks, Minister Lin welcomed Vice Minister Verdún, who was leading a delegation on his first visit to Taiwan. Speaking on behalf of the people and government of Taiwan, Minister Lin again thanked Paraguayan President Santiago Peña and the government of Paraguay for making over 50 statements in public and at international events supporting bilateral diplomatic relations and backing Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.
Minister Lin pointed out that President Lai Ching-te attached great importance to the results of cooperation between Taiwan and Paraguay. He added that President Lai had instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue working with the government of Paraguay under the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project to jointly promote partnership programs in such areas as smart health care, new energy, carbon credit cooperation, and smart new agriculture, as well as to expand economic and trade investment and collaboration. Minister Lin said that this would make the Taiwan-Paraguay relationship a model of international cooperation and exchanges.
In response, Vice Minister Verdún thanked Taiwan for its long-standing assistance in technological advancement, talent development, public health, medical care, and other spheres. Emphasizing President Peña’s staunch support for Taiwan-Paraguay diplomatic ties, he added that both countries shared the values of freedom, democracy, and human rights, which should not be sacrificed for economic and trade interests. Vice Minister Verdún said that Paraguay wanted to demonstrate to the world that standing with Taiwan was the right choice and that Paraguay would continue to join other like-minded nations in backing Taiwan’s participation in the international community.
Speaking at the luncheon that he hosted on behalf of Minister Lin, Vice Minister Ger noted that Paraguay offered an attractive investment environment and had the advantage of being a gateway to access the regional market. He said that the government of Taiwan was developing appropriate policies to encourage companies to invest in Paraguay. Vice Minister Ger expressed hope that, based on the existing solid foundations of cooperation, the two sides would further develop economic and trade opportunities to benefit the businesses and people of both countries.
During his remarks, Vice Minister Verdún applauded the results of bilateral collaboration and exchanges across all fields and commended the memorandum of understanding on carbon credit cooperation, signed by the two nations in October, as a forward-looking and strategic document. He added that he was pleased by the popularity of Paraguayan beef and pork in the Taiwanese market. Vice Minister Verdún reiterated Paraguay’s firm support for Taiwan’s international participation and exchanged views with other guests on an extensive range of issues, including economics, trade, agriculture, medical care, and technology.
Over the 68 years that Taiwan and Paraguay have been diplomatic allies, they have engaged in broad-ranging cooperation across areas including talent development, public health, medical care, agricultural technology, and technological advancement. The outcomes of collaboration are widely recognized and appreciated by the Paraguayan people and government. Paraguay has long endorsed Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, and President Peña has strongly spoken up for Taiwan at the United Nations General Assembly for several years running, demonstrating the rock-solid, mutually beneficial, and reciprocal partnership between the two countries. (E)