By Caribbean News Global 
TAIWAN / TUVALU – Republic of China (Taiwan) minister of foreign affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu and Tuvaluan delegation led by minister for justice, communication and foreign affairs Simon Kofe, June 2, 2023, signed an agreement on diplomatic staff training cooperation and agreement on technical cooperation, said a press statement attributed to the department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
“The agreements will establish a bilateral training and exchange mechanism for diplomatic personnel and expand collaboration in domains such as digital transformation, information and communications technology, and climate change, helping minister Kofe realize his sustainable development goal of a digital nation.”
In addition, “Taiwan’s minister of justice Tsai Ching-hsiang and minister Kofe signed a treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. They committed to jointly combating cross-border telecommunications fraud, organized crime, money laundering, and drug crimes so as to enforce the law, highlight legal justice, and create a comprehensive bilateral judicial assistance mechanism.”
After the signing ceremony had concluded, minister Wu hosted a banquet at the Taipei Guest House in honour of minister Kofe, his wife, and the Tuvaluan delegation.
Minister Wu delivered a speech welcoming minister Kofe’s second visit to Taiwan and expressing appreciation to the government of Tuvalu for having long spoken up staunchly for Taiwan in the international arena.
“He especially thanked minister Kofe, who was undaunted by China’s unreasonable coercion during the 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference and conveyed steadfast support for Taiwan to the international community by withdrawing from the conference, inspiring deep gratitude in the government and people of Taiwan. Minister Wu also emphasized that the government cherishes the diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Tuvalu and will continue to work with the Tuvaluan government to promote bilateral cooperation in all domains.”
In his speech, minister Kofe said that diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Tuvalu are so close that the people of the two countries are like members of the same family. “Minister Kofe lauded Taiwan’s long-term assistance with Tuvalu’s civilian infrastructure, particularly the enhanced quality and security of information and communications infrastructure. He further stated, “that shared values such as freedom and democracy are an important foundation of the Taiwan-Tuvalu diplomatic partnership, and committed to further deepening bilateral cooperation in several areas based on the existing solid partnership to jointly address geopolitical risks and challenges.”
