President Chen Shui-bian met with Chairman of the Libyan Qadhafi Foundation Saif al-Islam Qadhafi on the morning of January 18, 2006. The President expressed that Taiwan and Libya should expand cooperative partnerships.
Before the meeting ended, the President and Chairman Saif expressed their views about future exchanges and friendly cooperation.
The President said that Chairman Saif is acting as an envoy for his father Libyan President Muammar Qadhafi and touted the visit as a historical first. He asked Saif to thank his father and extended his greetings to the leader. He then gladly accepted an official invitation from Qadhafi for a state visit to Libya.
The President agreed with the proposition that the two nations should establish representative offices to substantiate ties and begin to carry on aerial, tourist, educational, cultural, military and security cooperative ventures and exchanges to strengthen ties between the two nations. He proffered his heartfelt invitation to Qadhafi and said he looks forward to Qadhafi visiting Taiwan. He then expressed gratitude to Saif for his visit.
During the meeting, the president said that Libya is one of the primary African nations and that Qadhafi is a significant player in international politics. He said that the two nations had a deep relationship as Taiwan had diplomatic relations with Libya from 1959 to 1978--a 20-year relationship. He said that there is no feeling of distance or unfamiliarity in meeting Saif as a result.
Saif thanked the people of Taiwan for their warm reception and said that his father Qadhafi is resolved to develop Taiwan-Libyan ties. He said he looks forward to expansion in exchanges and cooperation between the two nations, allowing Libya to serve as Taiwan's gateway to Africa. He hoped that the two nations sign a memorandum on establishing mutual representative offices before his departure. He deeply believed that both sides will build substantive relationships that will beget even more mutual benefits.