Taiwan, U.S. discuss expanding cooperation in Paraguay

Taipei, June 19 (CNA) Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) met with United States Chargé d'Affaires Robert Alter in Paraguay on Tuesday during a visit to the South American ally, where the two sides discussed expanding Taiwan-U.S. cooperation in Paraguay.

According to a press statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Friday, Chen and Alter exchanged views on several issues, including ongoing Taiwan-Paraguay cooperation on an artificial intelligence computing center.

They also discussed higher education talent cultivation, Mandarin language education, and efforts to encourage Taiwanese technology firms to invest in Paraguay.

During the meeting, Chen said Taiwan and the U.S., both key partners of Paraguay, share the goal of supporting the country's long-term development and can achieve greater results through complementary cooperation.

Alter agreed that Taiwan, the U.S. and Paraguay have significant room for cooperation, particularly in the technology sector, MOFA said.

Areas such as AI computing infrastructure, 5G telecommunications and smart transportation require not only technological development but also attention to cybersecurity and workforce training, Alter was cited as saying.

While the U.S. will continue helping Paraguay enhance its cybersecurity capabilities, Taiwan and the U.S. should also work together to facilitate cooperation between Paraguay and trusted partners to address increasingly serious cyber threats, he added.

Meanwhile, MOFA said Taiwan would continue promoting trilateral cooperation and advancing projects in Paraguay aimed at improving public welfare and supporting the country's economic and social development.