Guatemala's new ambassador to Taiwan said that he intends to hold the Taiwan Friends Summit in March 2023, and hopes that Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and Guatemalan President Jamedai will co-chair the meeting.

According to a press release issued on the official website of Taiwan's Presidential Palace, Tsai Ing-wen accepted the letter of appointment from Badia, the new Guatemalan ambassador to Taiwan, at the Presidential Palace on Monday (December 19).

Tsai Ing-wen said in his speech that Taiwan and Guatemala have continued to deepen exchanges in various fields over the years. Even under the challenge of the epidemic, bilateral trade has grown steadily and the pace of cooperation has not stopped. For example, Guatemala established a business counselor's office in Taiwan in January this year, and Taiwan also invited a group of manufacturers to visit Guatemala in July.

Tsai Ing-wen pointed out that in August this year, in the face of the continuous military exercise of the Chinese mainland, Guatemalan Foreign Minister Bucaro visited Taiwan to express his support. At the United Nations General Assembly in September, President Jamedai also spoke out for Taiwan. She would like to thank Guatemala for its support to Taiwan.

According to a press release from Taiwan's Presidential Palace, Badia said that Guatemala is a friend and ally of Taiwan, and the two places will work together to make the world see each other's friendship, as well as to defend freedom, sovereignty, democracy, and economic and social development. Common values such as firm belief.

Badia pointed out that Guatemala has repeatedly expressed its friendship and commitment to Taiwan in international multilateral and bilateral fields. For example, Jamedai once again expressed at the UN General Assembly in September this year that Guatemala insists on joining the voice of all countries in the world to stop the threat to Taiwan's sovereignty and oppose the global expansion of the authoritarian system.

Badia also said that Guatemala, as Taiwan's unchanging friend and ally, intends to hold a Taiwan-friendly summit in March 2023 to promote exchanges between friendly countries, while reaffirming its recognition and support for Taiwan. He added that if Tsai Ing-wen's itinerary allows, he looks forward to Tsai Ing-wen and Jia Maidai co-chairing the meeting.

According to public reports, Tsai Ing-wen has so far not accepted the invitation. Tsai Ing-wen visited Guatemala in 2017.

Guatemala is currently one of Taiwan's only 14 diplomatic relations and one of Taiwan's only three remaining diplomatic relations in Central America. The other two are Honduras and Belize.