President Lee Teng-hui met today with a delegation from the Republic of Chad National Assembly, led by Mr. Wadal Abdeldader Kamougue, President of the Assembly. Besides extending a hearty welcome to the Chadian delegation, President Lee expressed his hope that this visit will further promote the relations between the two countries.
During the meeting, Mr. Kamougue voiced, on behalf of the people of the Republic of Chad, his sincere appreciation for all the assistance the Republic of China has rendered to his country.
He noted that since the resumption of their diplomatic ties, the ROC has actively provided Chad with various types of aid, including building irrigation systems, sending agricultural and technical missions and constructing transportation facilities. All of the Chadian people can personally feel this precious friendship from the ROC, he added.
President Lee said that after the 1950s, Taiwan once received considerable aid from the United States and other countries, and that it now offers assistance to show its gratitude to the international community. He stated his hope that the ROC's assistance will really help and improve the life of the Chadian people.
The President asserted that in an era of "popular sovereignty" today, the major function of a government is to solve problems for the people and the aim of politics is to serve and benefit the people. If the Chadian people can feel the ROC's friendship, then not only will the Chadian government gain more support from its people, but also the relations between the two countries will grow closer, he maintained.
Given Chad's abundant cotton production and the ROC's advanced light industry, President Lee proposed during the meeting that the two countries strengthen their direct trade to reduce exploitation by middlemen. Mr. Kamougue expressed his admiration for President Lee's concern about and understanding of the current situation of Chad.
Accompanied by Vice Foreign Minister Wu Tzu-dan, Mr. Kamougue and other members of his delegation met with President Lee at the Presidential Office this morning. Yin Tsung-wen, Secretary-General of the National Security Council, and his deputy, Hu Wei-jen were also present.