2026-2-24

Participants in the 2025 International Youth Ambassador Exchange Program accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung met with President Lai Ching-te on January 26. Following the meeting, Lin hosted a luncheon for the group at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to recognize the success of their visit to Hawaii, Guam, and the Marshall Islands from August 20 to 31, last year. The trip helped deepen Taiwan’s diplomatic alliances, strengthen Austronesian cultural ties, and promote youth diplomacy. 

In his remarks, Lin congratulated the ambassadors for successfully completing their mission to introduce Taiwan’s rich culture and youthful enthusiasm to other countries. He noted that last year, MOFA had encouraged former participants to establish the Taiwan Youth Ambassador Association, which had already received approval from the Ministry of the Interior. Looking ahead, Lin said that he hoped momentum would continue to build toward such events as this year’s Pacific Islands Forum in Palau, which is one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies. PIF will be attended by various heads of state. Lin suggested that youth ambassadors take part in the forum to assist with reception work and make further contributions to diplomacy. He added that MOFA was actively seeking to establish an International Nongovernmental Organization Center in Taiwan to make the country a hub for INGOs in the Indo-Pacific. Lin noted that the center would be a concrete demonstration of MOFA’s policy of integrated diplomacy. 

At lunch, Lin awarded the youth ambassadors completion certificates and chatted individually with them at their tables, learning about their backgrounds and experiences.