President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) met with a visiting cross-party delegation of Guatemalan lawmakers led by Congressional President Luis Alberto Contreras Colindres on Wednesday, July 8. During the meeting Lai said that Guatemala has become Taiwan’s largest supplier of cane sugar and the fourth-largest source of coffee, and that the government will continue to encourage Taiwanese businesses to invest in Guatemala and to use it as an important hub for expanding into the South American market.

Lai said that Taiwan and Guatemala are brotherly nations with a years-long history of fruitful cooperation in healthcare, industrial development, and economic and trade exchanges. He highlighted the fact that Guatemala’s exports to Taiwan have exceeded US$130 million for two consecutive years, which demonstrates the potential of bilateral trade.

In his remarks, Contreras said that his visit to Taiwan marks a historic moment in the strengthening of bilateral diplomatic ties and the cooperative relationship between the two countries. He said that Guatemala will always be a friend, and that the Guatemalan congress will continue to work hand in hand with Taiwan.