President Lee Teng-hui met today with Grenadian Prime Minister and Mrs. Keith Claudius Mitchell, and later with a European Parliament delegation. He expressed his appreciation for their visits to the Republic of China to attend the Double Tenth celebrations.
Another main objective of PM Mitchell's visit is to discuss agricultural development with the ROC. On this topic, President Lee said that with its experience, the ROC is willing to assist in Grenada's agricultural development and to help further improve the living of the Grenadian people.
Introducing the history of the ROC's industrial development, the President told his guest that during the 1960s and 1970s, the ROC transformed its agricultural economy to an industrial one and then upgraded the labor-intensive industry to capital and technology intensive industries. Furthermore, the ROC has also conducted major political reforms, and is now praised as a new economic player by the West, he added. Our development has proven to be successful, though its process is painstaking, he said.
President said that besides agricultural cooperation, Grenada and the ROC should strengthen their exchanges in other areas, such as vocational training, culture and sports. The ROC is willing to offer assistance to Grenada in vocational training, and in order to promote the mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples, Grenada can send its distinguished cricket teams to compete in games here, he added.
PM Mitchell expressed his appreciation for the hospitality accorded to him and his delegation by the ROC government and people, as well as for the assistance the ROC has rendered to his country in the past.
He asserted that the two countries have maintained a very close friendship, and that Grenada will continue to voice its support for the ROC in the international community.
Accompanied by ROC Foreign Minister Jason Hu, PM and Mrs. Mitchell met with President Lee at the Presidential Office this morning. Secretary-General Ding Mou-shih of the National Security Council and Su Chi, Deputy Secretary-General to the President, were also present. Other members of the visiting Grenadian delegation include: Meryl Forsyth, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Finance and Acting Cabinet Secretary; William Joseph, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture; Einstein Louison, Advisor to Minister of Agriculture; and Orgias Campbell, Consultant on agriculture.
During his meeting with the European Parliament delegation, President Lee first expressed his appreciation for the support the Parliament has lent to the ROC in recent years. The ROC's relations with the European Union will grow even closer in the future, the President maintained. He expressed his hope that the European visitors will exert their influence in the Parliament to support the ROC's participation in international organizations, and that they will urge the European Union to strengthen its exchanges and cooperation with the ROC in commerce and trade, science and technology, environmental protection, information, culture and education.
Accompanied by Jeng Dong-ping, Delegate of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission, the European Parliament delegation met with President Lee at the Presidential Office. Secretary-General Ding Mou-shih of the National Security Council and Su Chi, Deputy Secretary-General to the President, were also present. The delegation members include: Guenter Rinsche, Peter-Michael Mombauer, Anne-Karin Glase, and Brigitte Langenhagen.