President Tsai meets delegation led by Burkina Faso Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation Alpha Barry
During a meeting on the afternoon of October 10 with a delegation led by Burkina Faso Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation Alpha Barry, President Tsai Ing-wen thanked Burkina Faso for its long-standing support for Taiwan's participation in international organizations. She also expressed hope that the two countries can act in line with the principle of mutual assistance for mutual benefits to create a win-win situation that is beneficial to both sides.
In remarks, President Tsai noted that Minister Barry was visiting Taiwan and taking part in the ROC National Day celebrations as the representative of Burkina Faso President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, thus demonstrating the strong friendship that exists between Taiwan and Burkina Faso. The president asked him to give her warmest regards to President Kabore.
President Tsai pointed out that Burkina Faso in November 2015 held successful presidential and parliamentary elections that won strong international praise. The president said that she, too, as a strong believer in democracy and freedom, wished to convey her sincerest congratulations and deepest respect to the people of Burkina Faso.
Commenting on Taiwan's foreign policy, President Tsai stated that "steadfast diplomacy based on building mutually beneficial relationships" has been Taiwan's new approach to its foreign relations since she took office. She said she wants to change the old model of one-way foreign aid and switch instead to two-way consultations and planning of cooperation projects that better suited the needs of both countries so as to create a win-win situation that yields benefits for both sides.
President Tsai noted that Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Chih-Chung (吳志中) had just visited Burkina Faso this past September to discuss 26 cooperation projects in such fields as job training, upland rice cultivation, medical care, and solar power. The president expressed confidence that, given the 22 years of close cooperation between the governments of Taiwan and Burkina Faso, bilateral ties will certainly grow even stronger as the two sides move forward in line with the principle of mutual assistance for mutual benefits.
President Tsai also thanked Burkina Faso for its staunch, long-standing support for Taiwan's participation in international organizations. In particular, she noted, Burkina Faso and other diplomatic allies spoke in defense of Taiwan at the UN General Assembly this past September, sending a joint letter to the UN Secretariat calling on the UN to take heed of the basic right of the 23 million people of Taiwan to participate in the activities of UN specialized agencies. President Tsai reiterated Taiwan's gratitude for this support and expressed hope that Burkina Faso will continue to lend its support and assistance.
President Tsai said that Minister Barry is a young and accomplished leader with a lot of experience in journalism who is a very knowledgeable observer of international politics and has long demonstrated a deep concern for the process of democratization in Africa. The president expressed hope that in addition to attending the National Day celebrations and taking part in his pre-arranged itinerary, Minister Barry will also have a chance while in Taiwan to exchange views with people from a broad cross-section of our society regarding democracy and freedom, so as to further enhance the bilateral friendship.