President Chen Shui-bian on January 29 met with Former President of Mongolia Punsalmaa Orchirbat, who was invited to Taiwan to attend the preparatory conference of the Global Forum on New Democracies. President Chen, on behalf of the ROC (Taiwan) government and people of Taiwan, expressed his heartfelt appreciation to Former President Orchirbat for making a special visit to Taiwan.
President Chen said that Former President Orchirbat was not only Mongolia's first democratically elected president, but also is the first Mongolian head of state and political leader to visit Taiwan. President Orchirbat is also Asia's first head of state to lead a nation from being a communist country when he took office to a democracy by the time he left office, he said.
President Chen praised Former President Orchirbat for promoting democratic reforms in Mongolia between 1990 and 1997. In 1990, when he was the leader of the State Great Hural, Former President Orchirbat was instrumental in abolishing single party autocratic rule and paving the way for constitutional democracy. During his presidency, he transformed the country's economy from a communist state-planned system to a free market system. Former President Orchirbat is highly popular among the Mongolian population for his expertise and leadership in politics, economics, social issues, minerals and ecology.
President Chen said that in 1997 during his tenure as mayor of Taipei City, he signed a treaty with his counterpart in Ulan Bator, making the two capitals sister cities. In April 1999 after he had left office as mayor, he led a delegation to Ulan Bator. After being elected to the presidency in 2000, President Chen played a role in recognizing Mongolia as a sovereign nation. In 2002, the two nations signed an accord to exchange representative offices.
Former President Orchirbat expressed his appreciation to President Chen for his kind remarks. He said that Mongolia realizes the value of democracy and therefore supports Taiwan's pursuit of democratic ideals. Wedged in the two major powers of China and Russia, Mongolia often finds itself in a political predicament, he said. Nonetheless, Mongolia continues to promote democratic reform and is taking its own path.
Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission Minister Hsu Chih-hsiung accompanied Former President Orchirbat and Former Finance Minister Bat-Erdene Batbayar to the Presidential Building to meet President Chen. Presidential Secretary-General Mark Chen was also in attendance.