President Ma Ying-jeou met with National Anti-Drug Secretariat of Paraguay Executive Secretary César Aquino and Mrs. Aquino at the Presidential Office on the morning of December 7. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, extended a cordial welcome to the Aquinos on their visit to Taiwan.
The president remarked that Executive Secretary Aquino has a comprehensive background in law enforcement, having previously served as the police chief of Paraguay's capital, the chief of police in a province, and the head of a police college. He also received rigorous drug interdiction training in Germany. President Ma commented that the ROC and Paraguay have maintained diplomatic relations for 53 years and the ROC has provided its ally with UH-1H helicopters to aid in narcotics interdiction. Paraguay has also engaged in drug busts in collaboration with neighboring countries. The president noted that countries throughout the world are increasingly working together in anti-drug work and that this is the correct path to take. He said he hopes this visit by Executive Secretary Aquino will not only strengthen bilateral cooperation in fighting drugs but also offer an opportunity for both sides to exchange experiences in the fight against drugs, thus reducing the harm caused by drugs to a minimum.
President Ma, who previously served as justice minister for more than three years, stated that he declared a war on drugs at that time and reduced drug-related crimes from over 47,000 cases to 26,000. In particular, cases of youths using drugs fell from 12,000 cases to 3,000. This was the result of drug busts, a "say no to drugs" campaign, and detox programs, he said. The president added that education, treatment, and religion all play important roles in reducing the demand for drugs and in curtailing supply.
Executive Secretary Aquino thanked President Ma for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with him. He also passed along a message from Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo that he will soon sign an order to allow ROC citizens to travel to Paraguay visa-free. President Ma said he was very pleased to hear this, adding that the 35 nations and territories of the European Union (EU) recently agreed to include Taiwan in the EU visa-waiver program. Starting from January of next year, a total of 96 countries and areas will provide visa-free treatment to ROC nationals. The president remarked that the number of countries offering visa-free entry to ROC passport holders could surpass 100 next year, and that Paraguay's move is helping us to reach that goal. President Ma welcomed this gesture of friendship and said he hopes bilateral relations will continue to strengthen.
Executive Secretary Aquino and Mrs. Aquino were accompanied to the Presidential Office in the morning by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Thomas Ping-Fu Hou to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Chih-kung Liu.