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President Ma attends reception to commemorate 194th anniversary of Central American independence
2015-09-14

President Ma Ying-jeou on the evening of September 14 attended a reception to commemorate the 194th anniversary of Central America's independence. In addition to updating those attending on the achievements of the government's promotion of the "viable diplomacy" policy, the president also expressed hope for even more interaction between the ROC and its Central American allies, which will yield mutual benefits and co-prosperity.

In remarks, the president said that he was extremely honored to attend the celebratory reception, which was jointly held by El Salvadoran, Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Guatemalan embassies to the ROC. The president also extended his congratulations to the ROC's Central American diplomatic allies.

He stated that he has a wonderful impression of Central America, not only because a number of the countries in the region are diplomatic allies of the ROC, but also due to the beautiful scenery and culture, as well as the warm and friendly people.

The president stated that he has made 11 overseas visits since taking office in 2008, and visited Central America on six of those trips. In addition, the heads of state, deputy heads, government officials, and members of parliament from those nations frequently visit the ROC, which points to the close interaction and strong relationship between the ROC and its allies in the region, he said.

Mentioning the ROC's policy of "viable diplomacy," the president remarked that after he took office the government embraced the principles of "seeking proper goals, acting lawfully, and exercising effective administration" in carrying out its diplomatic agenda. One concrete achievement of efforts in this regard has been the number of countries and areas that provide ROC nationals with visa-free entry or landing visa courtesies. Over the past seven years, that number has increased to 148, compared to 54 prior to his taking office, and ROC nationals currently do not require visas for 98% of the locations they visit most frequently, he said.

President Ma also mentioned that the ROC and its Central American allies engage in extremely close cooperation in many areas vital to improving the wellbeing of the public in those countries. For instance, cooperation is carried out in the fields of agriculture and fishing, health care and medicine, technical and vocational education, and environmental protection, with many related projects currently in progress. The president said that on his trips to Central America he has visited cooperative projects undertaken by the ROC and our allies, adding that these initiatives have been extremely beneficial to bilateral relations and development.

The president also acknowledged that the ROC's diplomatic allies in Central America actively speak up to support ROC participation in the international community. For instance, they have made remarks in favor of the ROC at the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly, the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the World Trade Organization. The ROC's allies also have expressed their concern and condolences over several unfortunate events that have taken place here this year such as the crash of a TransAsia Airways flight in February and a powder explosion at the Formosa Fun Coast water park in June. The people of the ROC will always remember these gestures, he said.

The president emphasized that the geographic distance between the ROC and its allies in Central America has not been an impediment to the friendship between the two sides. Lastly, he invited everyone in attendance to raise their glasses in a toast, wishing the ROC and its Central American allies continued prosperity and a lasting alliance.

Among those in attendance were El Salvadoran Ambassador to the ROC Marta Chang de Tsien, Nicaraguan Ambassador to the ROC William Manuel Tapia Aleman, Honduran Ambassador to the ROC Rafael Fernando Sierra Quesada, and Guatemalan Ambassador to the ROC Olga Maria Aguja Zuniga. Also attending were Nauruan Ambassador to the ROC Ludwig Dowong Keke (the head of the diplomatic corps in the ROC), Control Yuan President Chang Po-ya (張博雅), National Security Council Secretary-General Kao Hua-chu (高華柱), Minister of Foreign Affairs David Y. L. Lin (林永樂), and Auditor General Ching-Long Lin (林慶隆).

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