Belmopan—Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) Julie Chung of the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs visited Belize on October 27-28. This is PDAS Chung’s first visit to Belize, where she met with key government and private sector leaders and underscored the strength and importance of the partnership between Belize and the United States.
PDAS Chung met with Prime Minister Dean Barrow, Minister of State Tracy Taeger-Panton, Leader of the Opposition John Briceno, Ambassador of Japan to Belize Hiroyuki Kubota, Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Remus Li-Kuo Chen, and Belizean alumni from several State Department exchange programs.
Throughout her visit, PDAS Chung encouraged opportunities to continue expanding our strong bilateral ties and to foster multilateral cooperation. She highlighted the solid economic ties between our two countries, noting the United States remains Belize’s largest trade and investment partner. PDAS Chung congratulated Belize and Taiwan on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and expressed appreciation for Belize’s continuing relationship with Taiwan. She welcomed Belize’s progress toward finalizing the Economic Cooperation Agreement with Taiwan, which opens new agricultural export opportunities for Belize. PDAS Chung reiterated our strong support for Japan’s decision to open their embassy in Belize.
During her meeting with our program alumni and young entrepreneurs, PDAS Chung highlighted the importance of exchange programs in fostering talent and developing the next generation of Belizean leaders.
 Julie Chung of the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs visited Belize on October 27-28.){kind=link}