TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan cannot be left behind, Nauru President Russ Kun said during a welcome ceremony with full military honors on Tuesday (Nov. 15).
“Taiwan’s evolution as a democratic country has progressed rapidly, even as democracies elsewhere struggle," Kun said in a speech. He praised Taiwan’s accomplishments through collective hard work as “exemplary.”
Taiwan has continuously proven that “perseverance and hard effort, commitment to education, and innovation” can help achieve a more civilized and prosperous society, the president said. He pointed out that Nauru and Taiwan have had a “long and enduring friendship” based on the common responsibility to safeguard the values of peace, freedom, democracy, and human rights.
Kun called Taiwan “an unwavering ally” over the years that has contributed significantly to Nauru’s national sustainability goals. He said the two nations have strengthened ties further by working to bolster institutions, improve connectivity, generate trade, and develop cross-border solutions to shared problems to “promote prosperity through economic development.”
The president also mentioned the Austronesian culture shared by both nations and said he looked forward to promoting more people-to-people exchanges. He said his visit to Taiwan has the theme of “Sustainable partnership: Connectivity for prosperity,” which focuses on economic recovery from the pandemic.
Kun said he is proud that Nauru is working with Taiwan to maintain “a sustainable, stable, peaceful region.”
Nauru will continue to stand in solidarity with Taiwan, he said, adding that the East Asian democracy “must walk in step and side by side with all the nations of the world.”
Kun and his delegation arrived in Taiwan on Monday (Nov. 14) and will be touring the nation until Nov. 19. The delegation will seek to deepen cooperation with Taiwan in areas such as talent cultivation, information and communication, border security, port administration, food security, and climate change.
Kun was sworn in as president on Sept. 29.
