U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with Honduran President-elect Xiomara Castro on Thursday, following the inauguration ceremony of the new Central American government.reported the White House.
“We see an opportunity to begin a new chapter in the partnership between the two countries,” a senior US government official said in a call with reporters. The two leaders will address the expansion of economic opportunities and the fight against corruption in Honduras and migration, the official added.
It is also the first time that the administration of President Joe Biden will hold a direct meeting with the Honduran presidency. Relations between the U.S. and the outgoing Honduran president, Juan Orlando Hernández, have cooled since the arrival of the Democrats to the presidency. Hernandez was accused by the US judiciary of having links with drug trafficking, which he has denied.
The White House looks favorably on the political objectives that Castro, who is to become Honduras’ first female presidenthas set for her government, said the official. Among them, he mentioned economic growth, a better environment for private investment and combating corruption.
“Those items that she has identified as a priority for the Honduran people are also priority issues that we want to work on with her,” the official said.
Approaching Taiwan
During his meeting with Castro, Harris will also touch on Honduras’s relationship with Taiwan, a Biden administration official told the Voice of America via email.
“The vice president will express her support for the Taiwan-Honduras relationship and underscore the positive role Taiwan can play in Honduras and the hemisphere,” the official wrote.
Honduras is one of 14 countries in the world that recognize Taiwan and during his presidential campaign, Castro said he would open diplomatic and trade relations with China if he won the election.
A delegation from Taipei, led by Vice President William Lei, will attend Castro’s inauguration.
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