The Speaker of the Marshallese Congress visited Lai Ching-te and reiterated that he "will always stand with Taiwan."

President Lai Ching-te received today (6th) the "delegation of the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Mr. and Mrs. Vathy" and thanked the Malaysian Parliament for its long-term support of Taiwan's international participation. Speaker Vasi emphasized that as Taiwan’s partner, friend and staunch supporter, the Marshall Islands will always stand with Taiwan.

Lai Qingde said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations 28 years ago, the two countries have always been partners of mutual trust and support. They not only share a profound Austronesian culture, but also cherish universal values ​​such as freedom, democracy and human rights. Over the years, Taiwan and the Marshall Islands have faced various challenges such as the COVID-19 epidemic and climate change together, and have continued to deepen cooperation in the fields of agriculture, public health, medical care, women's empowerment, and climate change to create more benefits for the people of the two countries.

He further pointed out that, especially after the Taiwan-Malaysia Economic Cooperation Agreement (ECA) officially came into effect in January last year, cooperation between the two countries has entered a new stage. In April this year, Foreign Minister Lin Jialong led a business delegation to visit the Marshall Islands; last month, the two countries also held the first Taiwan-Malaysia ECA Ministerial Joint Committee Meeting to continue to promote economic, trade and industrial exchanges. We look forward to continuing to combine government and private sectors in the future to explore more cooperation opportunities in areas such as smart agriculture and aviation connectivity, deepen the partnership between the two countries, and promote sustainable bilateral development.

Speaker Vasey said in his speech that November 20 this year will mark the 28th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The friendship between the two countries is based on shared democratic values, mutual respect and common South Island cultural heritage. This trip is his second official visit to Taiwan since taking office as Speaker of the National Assembly, demonstrating his firm commitment to deepening relations between the two countries. He looks forward to further exchanges with President Lai and the Taiwan government team, expanding practical cooperation, and bringing substantial benefits to the people of the two countries.

Vathy pointed out that in the past 30 years, the Taiwan-Malaysia partnership has made significant progress and jointly reached a number of important milestones. With Taiwan's support and cooperation, the two sides have promoted many cooperation projects, including vocational training to help young people improve their abilities, medical training to improve people's well-being, and livestock development plans to strengthen food security, etc., which will help improve the quality of life of the Malaysian people.

Vasi mentioned that the Malaysian Parliament Building suffered a serious fire on August 26, 2025, and the chamber, offices, library and precious historical archives were all burned. Taiwan immediately extended a helping hand and provided important assistance in rebuilding the Malaysian Parliament. This generosity fully demonstrated the profound friendship and Malaysia will always remember it.

Speaker Vasi said that despite its small land area and population, Malaysia has always highly valued its long-term friendship with Taiwan and will continue to firmly support Taiwan’s meaningful and full participation in the United Nations system and international affairs. Excluding willing and capable global partners like Taiwan will be detrimental to collective progress. Therefore, Malaysia will continue to advocate for Taiwan’s right to participate in multilateral forums so that Taiwan’s professional capabilities in areas such as public health, technological innovation, and climate resilience can benefit the international community.