President and Madame Lee Teng-hui this morning meet with Mr. Charles Ghankay Taylor, a member of the Collective Presidency of the Liberia National Transitional Government, and his wife for a talk on matters of mutual concern.
During the meeting, President Lee extends a warm welcome to Mr. and Mrs. Taylor who arrived in the Republic of China on February 20 for a four-day visit. This is the first time the Liberian leader has been in this country.
President Lee expresses gratitude for Mr. Taylor's effort at promoting relations between the two countries, particularly the dispatch of Mr. John Cummings as the new Liberian resident ambassador to the ROC, who presented his credentials to the President last week. "I am convinced that Ambassador Cumming's arrival will help upgrade cooperation between our two countries", adds President Lee.
In response, Mr. Taylor says that the Republic of Liberia treasures her long-standing friendship with the ROC, adding that the Liberian government and people well remember all the assistance the ROC agricultural mission has given to Liberia in the past years. He hopes that, through his visit, the bilateral relations will not only be strengthened but also be expanded, and that he wishes to take advantage of this visit to gain a better understanding of the ROC's developmental experiences, especially in democratic reforms.
President Lee tells his guests that the principal tenet for a national leader is to come up with a comprehensive political agenda to set the course for future national development. And he wishes the upcoming presidential election in Liberia a great success.
Mr. and Mrs. Taylor are accompanied by members of his entourage, including Agricultural Minister Roland Massaquoi, Information Minister Joe W. Mulbah, Land, Mining and Energy Minister Jenkins Dunbar and Grace B. Minor, a senior parliamentarian, to the Presidential Building for the meeting. Also present are Dr. Ding Mou-shih, secretary-general of the ROC National Security Council, Mr. John Chang, ROC foreign minister, and Mr. Stephen S. F. Chen, deputy secretary-general to the President.