Taiwan's top diplomat leads business delegation to Marshall Islands

Taipei, April 7 (CNA) Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) is leading a business delegation to the Marshall Islands on a three-day trip aimed at deepening bilateral economic and trade cooperation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.

During the visit, which runs from Tuesday through Thursday, Lin and his delegation will meet with Marshall Islands President Hilda C. Heine, Legislative Speaker Brenson Wase, and Foreign Minister Kalani Kaneko.

They will also visit several Taiwan-funded cooperation projects in the Pacific ally, MOFA said in a press release.

Lin's delegation includes 60 representatives from several industries, including shipping, cold-chain logistics, medical equipment, food processing, clean energy, and information and communications technology (ICT).

Also part of the delegation, according to MOFA, is Taiwan's "Drone Diplomacy Task Force," which promotes its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capabilities to international partners.

The initiative aims to showcase public-private partnerships while supporting the Marshall Islands' economic development.

Other senior officials in the delegation include Susan Hu (胡啟娟), deputy director-general of the International Trade Administration; Tsai Shu-chen (蔡淑貞), deputy director-general of the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration; and Shih Li-chun (史力軍), deputy secretary-general of the TaiwanICDF, a MOFA-funded foreign aid agency.

While in the Marshall Islands, Lin's delegation will hold the first committee meeting under a bilateral mechanism that was established following the Taiwan-Marshall Islands Economic Cooperation Agreement, which took effect in 2025.

The delegation will also participate in a business opportunities forum aimed at enhancing two-way trade relations, MOFA added.