《TAIPEI TIMES》Tuvaluan prime minister to attend Lai inauguration

By Yang Chen-yu / Staff reporter, with CNA

Newly elected Tuvaluan Prime Minister Feleti Teo is to attend president-elect William Lai’s （賴清德） inauguration in May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed yesterday.

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During his three-day visit to Tuvalu this week, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang （田中光） invited Teo to attend the inauguration, and the prime minister accepted, the ministry said in a statement.

Tien was in Tuvalu from Wednesday to Friday as a special envoy of President Tsai Ing-wen （蔡英文） to congratulate Teo and his newly formed Cabinet.

Teo accepted Tien’s invitation to lead a delegation to Lai’s inauguration ceremony on May 20, the ministry said, adding that they also exchanged ideas on areas of cooperation for the two countries and the Tuvaluan government’s priority policies.

Tien in his remarks at the inauguration ceremony thanked Tuvalu for its long-term support of Taiwan’s international participation, it said.

His comment that the two nation’s friendship was based on “courage, love, loyalty and commitment” was met with a warm response from Tuvaluan officials, it said.

The Tuvaluan government also said it cherishes the friendship it has with Taiwan, the ministry said.

During Tien’s visit, he attended events that highlighted Taiwan-Tuvalu cooperation programs, including clean-energy projects, the installation of air-conditioners in classrooms and the handover ceremony of relief supplies, all of which demonstrated Taiwan’s commitment to assisting Tuvalu in enhancing its resilience to climate change and improving the welfare of the underprivileged, it said.

Clean energy cooperation projects include assisting Tuvalu in purchasing small solar-power systems for homes and streetlights, while the installation of air-conditioners in every classroom started last year, the embassy in Tuvalu said.

Taiwan established diplomatic relations with Tuvalu in 1979, and it is one of 12 allies that formally recognize the Republic of China.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES