Minister ‘open’ to Honduras relations

Taiwan is open to all possibilities for relations with Honduras, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Tuesday during a meeting with a Honduran congressman in Taipei.

Lin welcomed the visit by Jorge Calix, caucus whip of Honduras’ opposition Liberal Party, saying during the meeting that the visit was “a concrete move to show his friendship and support for Taiwan,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

The two countries ended formal diplomatic relations in 2023.

Honduran lawmaker Jorge Calix, left, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, right, speak in Taipei on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

When Taiwan and Honduras were diplomatic allies, they had achieved fruitful results through cooperation in several areas, Lin said.

Taiwan continues to cherish its long-standing friendship with the people of Honduras, the statement cited him as saying.

The government will maintain a “pragmatic and open approach” to the prospect of relations that could “create all kinds of possibilities,” he said.

The statement cited Calix as saying that he sees Taiwan as a model of freedom, democracy and economic development.

Calix said he would be exploring opportunities for cooperation based on the existing foundation.

The ministry did not disclose when the Honduran politician arrived in Taiwan or how long he is staying.

Calix has been serving as a member of the Honduran National Congress since 2014. In early 2022, he briefly served as the disputed president of the Congress.

He is the first Honduran politician to publicly visit Taiwan since the Central American country severed formal diplomatic ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing in March 2023, during the tenure of then-Honduran president Xiomara Castro, ending 82 years of formal ties.

Honduran President Nasry Asfura, who took office in January, had pledged during his election campaign to restore ties with Taipei.

Since then, neither Tegucigalpa nor Taipei have spoken publicly about potentially restoring diplomatic ties.