President Chen Shui-bian met with Republic of Nauru Minister of Foreign Affairs and Finance and Internal Affairs and Customs David Adeng and Minister for Island Development and Industry Frederick Pitcher, and asked the two ministers to send his regards to President Ludwig Scotty.
President Chen said that he wholeheartedly welcomes President Scotty on a planned tour of Taiwan in March this year. Last May, after the Taiwan-Nauru relationship was officially reinstated, the Nauru minister of health immediately spoke on behalf of Taiwan at the World Health Assembly. Following that in September of last year, President Scotty spoke for Taiwan’s bid for entry into the United Nations. For these actions, President Chen expressed his appreciation.
The President then said that, while on his trip to Pacific island nations allies Tuvalu and Kiribati, both nations expressed a desire for Taiwan to offer help in solving the problem of miners overstaying in Nauru. He also said that he was gratified that representatives of Tuvalu, Kiribati and Nauru had agreed to provide mutual assistance to solving their mutual socio-economic problems at the Pacific Island Forum.
The President said that he looks forward to more cooperative ventures between Nauru and Taiwan. For example, Nauru has no agriculture industry, so it must import all agricultural products from Australia and that daily commodities are rather costly. If Taiwan and Nauru can sign an agriculture accord, Taiwan can then assist Nauru with its agricultural development.
Chen wished the ministers success on their Taiwan visit, wishing them the best on tour of the Hualien marble factory and the Taishan Professional Training Center with the aim that the visits would lead to future cooperative ventures.