Under the leadership of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) members, the Panama National Assembly officially established a pro-Taiwan group on the 8th of September. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) expressed sincere congratulations to the founding of the pro-Taiwan group in the Panama National Assembly, which aims to deepen parliamentary exchanges and democratic partnerships between Taiwan and Panama.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) released a press release today (9th) stating that the pro-Taiwan group in the Panama National Assembly was officially established and held an oath ceremony at 11 p.m. Taipei time on September 8th (10 a.m. local time on the 8th). The group includes 45 members of the National Assembly, including the Speaker of the Assembly Shirley Castañedas, First Vice President and Co-Chair of IPAC Manuel Cohen, Second Vice President Manuel Cheng, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Joan Guevara, Co-Chair of IPAC Ronald Ameth De Gracia, and Chairman of the pro-Taiwan group Medin Jiménez.
With over 60% of all National Assembly members as part of the pro-Taiwan group, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Joseph Wu was specially invited to record a video to express sincere congratulations on the establishment of the parliamentary pro-Taiwan group in Panama. This move demonstrates the strong bipartisan support from Panamanian parliamentary members towards Taiwan.
In his congratulatory video, Joseph Wu stated that Taiwan and Panama share common universal values such as democracy, freedom, and respect for human rights. He expressed hope that through the pro-Taiwan group, parliamentary diplomacy will be deepened to expand diverse cooperative exchanges, promote the well-being of the people in both countries, and create mutual prosperity.
In the past year and a half, more than twenty Panamanian National Assembly members have visited Taiwan. Joseph Wu has actively encouraged and urged Panamanian parliamentary members to unite and push for the establishment of a pro-Taiwan group. The successful establishment of the pro-Taiwan group in the Panama National Assembly signifies a significant milestone in restarting exchanges between Taiwan and Panama.
Furthermore, Mario Díaz-Balart, Co-Chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus in the United States House of Representatives, also recorded a video congratulating the establishment of the pro-Taiwan group in the Panama National Assembly. He acknowledged the shared core values of prosperity, freedom, and democracy between Panama and Taiwan, citing his own experience in co-leading the Taiwan Caucus in the U.S. Congress and understanding the importance of Panama establishing a pro-Taiwan group.
Taiwan’s legislator from the IPAC, Wan Yun, also recorded a video to congratulate the establishment of the pro-Taiwan group in the Panama National Assembly, emphasizing the creation of a new platform for exchanges and friendship between Taiwan and Panama. Representatives from the United States and Paraguay embassies in Panama, countries with similar ideals, attended the ceremony to congratulate the establishment of the pro-Taiwan group in the Panama National Assembly, showing support for deepening the democratic partnership alliance.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses gratitude for the unwavering support from all sectors in Panama for Taiwan and will continue to maintain close cooperation with the Panamanian National Assembly and the pro-Taiwan group to actively promote parliamentary diplomacy and deepen the Taiwan-Panama partnership.
The Republic of China (Taiwan) currently maintains diplomatic relations with 12 countries, including two in Central America: Belize and Guatemala; four in the Caribbean: Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; three in the Pacific: Marshall Islands, Palau, and Tuvalu; one in South America: Paraguay; one in Africa: Eswatini; one in Europe: the Vatican.