Source: Republic of China Taiwan
Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for delegation led by Speaker Italeli of the Parliament of Tuvalu
Date：2025-09-03
Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
September 3, 2025
No. 316
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a luncheon on September 2 for a delegation led by Sir Iakoba Italeli, Speaker of the Parliament of Tuvalu, and his wife. This was the speaker’s second trip to Taiwan, and Minister Lin welcomed him on behalf of the ROC (Taiwan) government, saying that the visit was a concrete demonstration of the close diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Tuvalu.
Minister Lin stated that during Speaker Italeli’s visit in September 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a reception at the Taipei Guest House to mark the special milestone of the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties. Minister Lin expressed pleasure in welcoming Speaker Italeli back to Taiwan less than a year later. He further pointed out that since MOFA had begun to promote integrated diplomacy last year, Taiwan and Tuvalu had deepened bilateral cooperation in all areas, achieving remarkable results and gaining strong recognition from the people of Tuvalu.
Minister Lin explained that bilateral collaboration included personnel exchanges, which MOFA had recently promoted under the Taiwan Global Pathfinders Initiative. Moreover, at the end of August, MOFA and the Fisheries Agency sent a delegation to Tuvalu to discuss fisheries cooperation. This was a realization of both integrated diplomacy as well as the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project. Minister Lin then thanked the Tuvalu government once again for its long-term staunch support of Taiwan’s international participation and for working to strengthen the democratic alliance between Taiwan and Tuvalu.
In his remarks, Speaker Italeli expressed gratitude to the Taiwan government for its hospitality and praised long-standing bilateral cooperation on agriculture and fisheries, medicine and sanitation, ICT, clean energy, climate change response, and infrastructure development in Tuvalu. These accomplishments, he said, had improved the welfare and national prosperity of both countries.
Speaker Italeli also again thanked the Taiwan government for its assistance with the construction of the parliament building in Tuvalu, adding that this signified shared democratic values. He expressed hope that the two countries would expand cooperation on education and talent development and stated that the Tuvalu government would encourage more young people to come to Taiwan for education and training. (E)