\Presidents Xiomara Castro (L) & Xi Jinping (R), Beijing, China, June 12, 2023. | Photo: Twitter/ @HelmutKramer

Beijing, June 12 (RHC)-- On Monday, Honduran President Xiomara Castro and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed 22 Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) to advance the deepening of relations between their countries, which announced the establishment of diplomatic relations in March.

"The signing of these 22 instruments will be a great opportunity for Honduras... We have had very specific achievements, and they will be announced as we progress," said Honduran Foreign Affairs Minister Eduardo Reina.  "A joint declaration was signed very positively," he added, noting that Castro and Xi expressed the areas in which they can make progress in deepening relations.

The MOUs are related to topics such as market access for Honduran products, protocols allowing for health quarantine, and others for the strengthening of bilateral trade.

Cooperation will extend to areas such as agriculture, culture, education, telecommunications, science, and technology.  A "fundamental" issue is the initiation of negotiations for a free trade agreement between China and Honduras. For that purpose, a Chinese mission will arrive in Tegucigalpa in July.

Both countries have also made progress in establishing non-refundable funds for important projects that will be determined "in coordination with the priorities of President Castro, and they will be announced very soon," added Reina.

Honduras and China announced the establishment of diplomatic relations on March 26, shortly after the Central American country officially ended its relations with Taiwan, which had been maintained since 1941.