President Chen Shui-bian met with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of the Solomon Islands on August 14 at the Office of the President. He thanked Sogavare for his firm determination to maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan and for his support for Taiwan's participation in international organizations.
Besides fully supporting Taiwan's involvement in the South Pacific affairs and its bid to participate in the World Health Organization, Prime Minister Sogavare and his foreign minister will lead a delegation to speak up for Taiwan in this year's United Nations General Assembly meeting, to be convened this September.
As the first summit of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and its diplomatic allies will be held in the Republic of Palau in early September, the president told his guest he looks forward to meeting with him again on that occasion.
The Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Solomon Islands established diplomatic ties in 1983, and Sogavare has visited Taiwan three times ever since. In his first visit, he was in the capacity as the finance minister of the Solomon Islands, and in the other two as the prime minister.
President Chen, on the other hand, visited the Solomon Islands in January 2005, marking the first president of Taiwan who paid visits to the South Pacific country.
Together with his Minister of Education Derek Sikua, Minister of Infrastructure and Development Festus Sofu, Minister of Commerce, Industries and Employment Shanel Agovaka, and Parliamentarians Francis John Zama and Severino Nuaiasi, Sogavare visited the Office of the President in the company of Taiwan's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Chang Siao-yue.