Panama legislature forms new Taiwan friendship group

Taipei, Sept. 9 (CNA) Panama's National Assembly on Tuesday established an interparliamentary friendship group with Taiwan's Legislature, a move welcomed by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) as an opportunity to facilitate bilateral exchanges and advance mutual interests.

The National Assembly officially established the multiparty interparliamentary exchange group with the Legislative Yuan at an inaugural ceremony at the assembly on Tuesday morning, local time.

According to Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), 45 of the assembly's 71 lawmakers -- or more than 60 percent -- have joined the group.

They include National Assembly President Shirley Castañedas and Vice Presidents Manuel Cohen and Manuel Cheng, MOFA said in a Wednesday press release.

In a congratulatory video message played during the inaugural ceremony, Lin said Taiwan and Panama share universal values, including democracy, freedom and respect for human rights.

"Through the Taiwan-friendly parliamentary group, we look forward to further deepening parliamentary diplomacy and expanding bilateral cooperation and exchanges, thereby promoting the well-being of both peoples and fostering mutual benefit and shared prosperity," Lin said in the video, according to MOFA.

MOFA stated that the group was formed after more than 20 Panamanian lawmakers visited Taiwan over the past six months, a rare development since Taiwan and Panama ended formal diplomatic ties in June 2017.

U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, co-chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, also congratulated Panama's National Assembly on establishing the parliamentary exchange platform in a separate video message played during Tuesday's ceremony, according to MOFA.