President Chen Shui-bian hosted a state banquet for Nauruan President Ludwig Derangadage Scotty on March 8 in Kaohsiung City, extending his warmest welcome and cheering the firm relationship between the two countries.
In his banquet remarks, President Chen mentioned four significances of President Scotty's visit: signs of luck, interpersonal and interstate love, ocean culture, and care for women.
To reciprocate President Chen's hospitality, President Scotty reassured his support to Taiwan's participations in regional and global affairs.
President Chen first associated Taiwan's pride, Director Ang Lee, who just won the 78th Oscar award for best director, with President Scotty's visit. President Chen was very pleased to share his happiness about the director's achievement with President Scotty, and praised the latter for having brought gook luck to Taiwan.
"Director Ang Lee's successful movie, 'Brokeback Mountain,' is not simply about the love of a man for another man, but as deep as the biblical saying that 'Love thy neighbor," said President Chen.
"Taiwan and Nauru are both ocean countries. Our ocean cultures have bred in the two countries and their people perseverance, tenacity and audacity to pursue freedom, democracy and peace," President Chen added.
After mentioning the common glory of the two countries' ocean cultures, President Chen heaped his praises for women on March 8, exactly the day on which the state banquet was hosted. "It's a perfect coincidence that we are entertaining President Scotty on such a special day. However, at the same time it is not accidental at all. President Scotty not only is devoted to women's issues in the Republic of Nauru, but also endeavors to increase women's seats in the Nauruan congress, all of which have made today's event more significant," President Chen said.
Referring to the successful "Donor's Roundtable" conference hosted by Nauru on November 30, 2005 where President Scotty's proposal of the "National Sustainable Development Strategy" won recognitions from France, Japan, the European Union, the Asian Development Bank, and other non-governmental and inter-governmental organizations, President Chen expressed his hope of future collaboration between Taiwan and the Republic of Nauru in such fields as agriculture, fishery, technology support and exchange, etc.
Toward the end of his remarks, President Chen again extended his gratitude to President Scotty for Nauru's long-time support to Taiwan. "I do believe that our countries and our citizens will fulfill their dreams if the values of freedom and democracy are unceasingly maintained, treasured, and applied," President Chen concluded.