Belize and Taiwan sign an agreement to strengthen diplomatic training 

Belize and Taiwan signed an agreement today to support the training and professional development of Belize’s diplomatic staff. The signing took place at the Leigh Richardson Building in Belmopan, where Foreign Affairs Minister Francis Fonseca welcomed Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, Lin Chia-lung, for bilateral talks.  The ministers discussed cooperation in areas of shared interest and signed a joint communiqué on the visit. Lin spoke about the partnership between the two countries and their continued work together.

H.E. Lin Chia–lung, Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan): “The extensive scope of our collaboration reflects our earnest friendship and joint commitments. Our countries strongly uphold such universal values as democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law. At the same time, the two of us seek to foster greater exchanges in many fields including in diplomacy, trade, investment, education, healthcare, agriculture, and tourism. These efforts aim to make our partnership increasingly diverse and substantive. Today, Minister Fonseca and I will sign an agreement on diplomatic step, training cooperation, and a joint communiqué. We will also witness the signing of other important documents, including a letter of intent between the Taiwan ICDF and the University of Belize. Taiwan is committed to deepening collaboration with diplomatic allies through the Taiwan model.”

The meeting also included a step toward establishing a Taiwan-Caribbean Institute. The ministers witnessed the signing of a Letter of Intent between the University of Belize and the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund. The proposed institute is expected to support academic cooperation, knowledge exchange and capacity building involving Belize, Taiwan and the wider Caribbean.  Fonseca also addressed the relationship and the opportunities for further cooperation.

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs: “The Joint communiqué sends a clear message. Belize remains committed to strengthening its close and long-standing partnership with Taiwan and to expanding the areas in which our two countries can work together for the benefit of our peoples. The Taiwan Caribbean Academy Cooperation Project represents an investment in our most important resource, our people. Belize greatly values Taiwan’s long-standing support for education, scholarships, training, and human capital development. Through our partnership with the Taiwan ICDF and the University of Belize, we are opening new opportunities for knowledge exchange, skills development, and innovation. The bilateral agreement on diplomatic staff training cooperation, similarly, strengthens an area of strategic importance to both countries. Taken together, these three instruments tell an important story. The joint communiqué strengthens our political relationship. The Taiwan Caribbean Academy strengthens our investment in people. And the diplomatic staff training agreement strengthens our institutions. This is the kind of substantive partnership that Belize values with Taiwan. Taiwan has been a steadfast friend and trusted development partner of Belize. But our partnership cannot remain defined only by what we have accomplished. We must also be ambitious about what we can achieve together in the future. There is significant scope to deepen our cooperation in education, science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, trade and investment, climate resilience, disaster risk management, and other areas of mutual interest. Today’s ceremony is about more than the signing of three instruments. It is about reaffirming in concrete terms the strength of our friendship, the depth of our partnership, and our shared determination to take our bilateral relationship forward. The center of today’s ceremony is the joint communiqué, which represents a renewed political commitment by our two governments to strengthen and deepen our bilateral relations. For more than three decades, Belize and Taiwan have built a relationship grounded in friendship, mutual respect, trust, and shared democratic values. It is a relationship that has stood the test of time.”

Today’s talks formed part of Lin’s official visit to Belize. The diplomatic training agreement is aimed at strengthening Belize’s foreign service, while the proposed institute would create another avenue for cooperation through education.