Youth ambassadors, drone operators set to depart for Taiwan allies

Taipei, Aug. 12 (CNA) A group of Taiwanese youths selected for a government-funded annual ambassadorship program, including unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operators for the first time, is set to visit Taiwan's South Pacific and Caribbean allies later this month to promote people-to-people exchanges, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said Wednesday.

At a send-off ceremony for the 45 members of the International Youth Ambassadors held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) headquarters in Taipei, Lin said the "youth ambassadors" will be divided into two groups this year, with one traveling to Palau and the other to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Kitts and Nevis from late August to early September.

During the visits, the ambassadors will meet with local officials and youth, perform, and promote Taiwan's culture, he said.

"I often say that 'everyone is a diplomat.' Diplomacy today is no longer the work of professional diplomats alone," Lin said in his address.

"For the first time, we have invited young drone specialists to join the program. We are combining technology with youth diplomacy to demonstrate Taiwan's innovation and creativity," he added.

Lin called on the youth ambassadors to be "confident, humble, and creative," and to "use your own talents, perspectives, and experiences to tell Taiwan's story and show the world what makes Taiwan special."

The MOFA-funded annual project sends Taiwanese students aged 18 to 35 to visit diplomatic allies for exchanges and cultural promotion.

More than 1,900 Taiwanese students have taken part in the program since it was launched in 2009, according to MOFA.

There are also some newcomers to this year's program, according to the minister.

Ten members of the newly established Taiwan International Youth Ambassador Association will also participate in visits to Palau, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, allowing them to pass on the experience and spirit of previous programs, he added.

The association was established in May with support from MOFA to serve as a networking platform for young people who previously attended the Youth Ambassador program and other diplomacy-related exchange programs, and to expand international engagement, the ministry said.

Separately, another six campus ambassadors selected by the MOFA-funded Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), the country's main foreign aid institute, will visit Saint Lucia and Eswatini to experience firsthand how Taiwan works with its partners and local communities, he added.