Upon President Chen Shui-bian's arrival in Asuncion at 10 p.m., May 5 (Taipei local time), he received a military welcome from Paraguayan Vice President Luis Alberto Castiglioni and Foreign Minister Leila Rachid Lichi.
Afterwards, President Chen met with Paraguayan President Nicanor Duarte Frutos, who later accompanied him to the Congress of Paraguay to give a congressional speech. During their meeting, President Duarte welcomed President Chen's arrival and reassured him that Paraguay will continue to be Taiwan's most trustworthy ally.
President Chen then spoke at the Congress of Paraguay. In his speech President Chen first praised Paraguay's democracy, which finally blossomed in 1993 after many years of wars and the reign of the military government. "Democracy, peace, and reconciliation have firmly taken root in your country," he said to the Paraguayan congressmen.
President Chen also shared with his audience Taiwan's experience in political transformation. Taiwan finally had its first Referendum Law in 2003, exercised its first national referendum in 2004, and, in 2005, included the referendum mechanism into its Constitution. Therefore, President Chen said, Taiwan's democracy is instructive to the ethnic Chinese communities and the whole world.
Regarding the cross-strait issue, President Chen reaffirmed that Taiwan will play the role as a "constructive stakeholder" and "defender of democracy, freedom, and peace."
Regarding Taiwan-Paraguay cooperation, President Chen brought his audience good news that Taiwan has decided to double the import quota for Paraguayan beef, from 220 tons to 440 a year.
On the other hand, in order to further strengthen bilateral cultural exchange, President Chen said that Taiwan will continue to offer scholarships to allow Paraguayan students to study in Taiwan. Under the scholarship program, 42 Paraguayan students have come to Taiwan to study.
In conclusion, the president reassured his audience that Taiwan will continue to carry out the 30-year agricultural cooperation with Paraguay and assist the projects initiated by President and Mrs. Duarte to help eradicate slum and stray children problems.
After having flown for nearly 30 hours from Taiwan, his longest journey ever, President Chen's arrival marked his third visit to Paraguay.