President Chen Meets with Dominican Republic President Leonel Antonio Fernandez Reyna
President Chen Shui-bian on June 26 welcomed President Leonel Antonio Fernandez Reyna of the Dominican Republic with a 21-gun salute and discussed issues of mutual interest with him at the Office of the President.
President Chen told his guest that Taiwan and the Dominican Republic had signed a memorandum of intention the year before, wishing to further expedite the signing of a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) in the future. He added that the signing of an FTA will surely help develop a strategic trade triangle to be formed by Taiwan, the Dominican Republic, and the US east coast.
Echoing to President Chen, President Fernandez said he also considered the signing of an FTA urgent and instrumental in developing the relationships between the Dominican Republic and Taiwan.
In the meeting, President Chen praised President Fernandez for having since 2004 elevated the economic growth to 9.3% and brought the inflation from 28.7% in 2004 sharply down to 7.4% in 2005.
President Chen also thanked President Fernandez and the Dominican Republic government for their long-time support to Taiwan's bid to participate in the United Nations, World Health Assembly, and the Organization of American States.
Other high-ranking officials of both countries were also present in the meeting, including Taiwan's Vice President Annette Lu, Secretary-General to the President Mark Chen, and Foreign Minister James Huang, and the Dominican Republic Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso, Education Minister Alejandrina German, Presidential Officials Luis Manuel Bonetti and Juan Temistocles Montas, and Dominican Republic Ambassador to Taiwan Victor Manuel Sanchez Pena.