Taipei, April 4 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian revealed Monday his plan to visit the Republic of Kiribati in May and expressed his happiness at being able to visit the country.
Chen made the announcement in a meeting with visiting Kiribati Parliament Speaker Etera Teangana at the Presidential Office.
Chen thanked Kiribati for its support for Taiwan's bid to join international organizations, such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization, and said that Teangana's current visit to Taiwan will help usher in full exchanges between the parliaments of the two countries.
According to Chen, bilateral Taiwan-Kiribati interactions have been frequent since the two countries forged diplomatic ties in November 2003.
Kiribati President Anote Tong visited Taiwan in February 2004, while former Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien paid a visit to Kiribati in January 2004, followed by a visit by Vice Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Ying-mao Kau last July to attend the Kiribati's 25th founding anniversary, he said.
Further exchanges are already on the way, as the two nations have clinched cooperative pacts on agriculture, fishing and sports, he said, adding that the Taiwan government will also provide scholarships for students from Kiribati to pursue higher learning in Taiwan.