Prime Minister John Briceño of Belize will visit Taiwan for five days starting Tuesday, during which he will be honored by President Tsai Ing-wen (???), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a statement Monday.
Tsai will welcome Briceño and his delegation with a military salute and then confer on the prime minister the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon for his role in enhancing ties between Taiwan and its Caribbean ally, the statement said.
Briceño will also meet with Vice President Lai Ching-te (???), and the two will head together to Tainan, where Briceño will receive an honorary doctorate from Tainan-based Kun Shan University, it said.
Lai and Briceño last met in January when they were in Honduras for the inauguration of President Xiomara Castro.
During his five-day trip, Briceño will also meet with Premier Su Tseng-chang (???), Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (???) and participate in a Belize business opportunity forum and meet with Belizean students in Taiwan, according to MOFA.
The visit will be Briceño's first trip to Taiwan in 16 years and the first time he visits the country as prime minister, a post he took up in November 2020, it said.
Other members of the delegation include Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration Minister Eamon Courtenay, and Education, Culture, Science and Technology Minister Francis Fonseca.
Belize is one of the 14 diplomatic allies Taiwan has around the world. The two countries have maintained official diplomatic ties since 1989.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel