Taipei, Oct. 9 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian met with Panama's ombudsman, Juan Antonio Tejada, on Thursday, and welcomed him on his visit on the eve of the Republic of China's Oct. 10 national day.
Chen extended congratulation to Tejada for his being nominated by President Mireya Moscoso as Panama's ombudsman for the second term. He hailed Tejada as a defender of justice for the Panamanian people.
The president told Tejada that he will also visit Panama early next month to attend the celebrations marking Panama's centennial and exchange notes on the free trade agreement that he and President Moscoso signed in August in Taipei.
Chen expressed gratitude to the Panamanian government and Tejada for their support for Taiwan's bids to enter world organizations, citing the example of Taiwan's entry into the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) in 1994, in which Taiwan has been involved actively since its admission.
Noting that the ROC and Panama have maintained close relations, Chen cited as examples President Moscoso's visit in August to Taiwan to attend the summit meeting among leaders of the ROC and Central American countries and Vice President Dominador Bazan's participation in the Democratic Pacific Assembly held in Taipei in September.
For his part, Tejada congratulated Chen on being awarded the 2003 Human Rights Award from the International League for Human Rights.
Chen said he has considered promoting human rights his highest administrative goal since assuming his post in May 2000. Noting that a draft bill for a national committee on human rights is being screened by the legislature, and another draft bill on basic human rights protection has also been drawn up, which will stipulate that death sentences be replaced by life sentences without parole, Chen said that these movements are all designed to promote human rights.