President Chen Shui-bian met with Senator Pablo Longueira Montes of the Republic of Chile on May 24 at the Office of the President, and expressed to his guest his wishes to sign a free trade agreement with Chile and to elevate the current Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chile to the level of a representative office.
Having learned that Senator Longueira is to campaign for Chile's 2009 presidential election, the president wished his guest great success.
As the 2005 trade amount between Taiwan and Chile almost reached US$1.6 billion with Chile enjoying a trade surplus close to US$1 billion, the president hoped that his guest will render his support for the signing of a free trade agreement between the two countries.
Not being able to accept the invitation to visit Taiwan when he was the chairman of Chile's Independent Democratic Party in 2002, Senator Longueira said it was his honor to visit Taiwan this time. Together with Mrs. Longueira, his visit to the Office of the President was accompanied by Taiwan's Vice Foreign Minister Francisco L.Y. Hwang.