Taipei, June 14 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian and representatives of the Christian community in Taiwan attended the 2003 National Prayer Breakfast Saturday to pray for peace in Taiwan.
It was the third consecutive such annual meeting that Chen has attended.
After the prayer, Chen extended his gratitude to the country's frontline medical staff treating the victims of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) , which has claimed 83 lives since its appearance in Taiwan in mid-March.
The SARS situation has now calmed down, thanks to the efforts of the public and of religious groups, whose volunteers have played an important role in SARS relief work, Chen said.
Chen noted that many people think that the SARS outbreaks and the recession are the two most serious problems in Taiwan. The president said he sees spiritual reconstruction as the solution to many problems, now that the atypical pneumonia has been brought under control, the economy is expected to recover because of government plans to expand public construction projects and entrepreneurs' efforts to rev up the economy.
However, Chen said he considers spiritual reconstruction as the most difficult task, which is why he attended the prayer meeting.