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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 Guatemalan delegation visiting to reaffirm ties
Guatemalan Congress President Luis Alberto Contreras Colindres speaks at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday. Photo: CNA
/ Staff writer, with CNA
Guatemalan Congress President Luis Alberto Contreras Colindres yesterday reaffirmed his nation’s long-standing diplomatic ties with Taiwan, as he began his first visit to Taipei.
Upon arrival at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Contreras said the delegation was visiting Taiwan to reaffirm Guatemala’s commitment to strengthening the friendship, mutual support and cooperation between the two nations.
Speaking through an interpreter, he told reporters that his delegation included representatives from eight political parties in the Guatemalan Congress, reflecting broad cross-party consensus on the importance of maintaining bilateral ties with Taiwan.
Guatemala will always remain Taiwan’s closest friend and a steadfast partner, he added.
Contreras also pledged that Guatemala would continue to stand firmly with Taiwan, saying his country would remain one of Taiwan’s strongest and steadfast diplomatic allies.
The five-day visit is Contreras’ first official trip to Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The group is scheduled to meet with President William Lai （賴清德） and other senior government officials to discuss issues of mutual concern and bilateral cooperation projects, it added.
In other news, a seven-member cross-party delegation of Panamanian lawmakers, led by Orlando Carrasquilla, chair of the National Assembly’s Agriculture and Fisheries Committee, arrived in Taiwan on Sunday for a five-day visit.
The ministry thanked the nation’s allies in Panama’s legislature for continuing to demonstrate their steadfast support for Taiwan through concrete actions.
The delegation is the third cross-party parliamentary group from Panama to visit Taiwan in the past two years, the ministry said.
Additional reporting by Huang Ching-hsuan
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
Visiting Guatemalan Congress President Luis Alberto Contreras Colindres, center left, and Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu shake hands at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: CNA
