President Chen Shui-bian on June 20 met with Republic of Guatemala President Oscar Rafael Berger Perdomo at the Presidential Office. On behalf of the government and 23 million people of the ROC (Taiwan), President Chen extended a warm welcome and appreciation to President Berger on his third visit to Taiwan.
President Chen said that he extended an invitation to President Berger to once again visit Taiwan during the bilateral talks held in January when they met in Nicaragua to attend the inauguration of that nation's new president Daniel Ortega Saavedra. President Chen said President Berger immediately accepted his invitation and arrangements were begun for this trip shortly. The president said he is confident that the government and people of Taiwan are honored by President Berger's visit.
President Chen recalled President Berger's previous visits to Taiwan. He said that this is President Berger's third visit to Taiwan. His counterpart's first visit to Taiwan was in October 1998 when President Chen was still serving as Taipei mayor. At the time, President Berger was also the mayor of his nation's capital city. The two mayors met and exchanged their thoughts on development of their respective cities, as well as providing encouragement to each other. President Berger's second visit to Taiwan was in 2005 to attend the inauguration of the Democratic Pacific Union, which was initiated by Vice President Annette Lu. President Chen said he is extremely pleased that President Berger is now making his third trip to Taiwan.
President Berger said that he hopes to further strengthen cooperation and friendship between the two countries on this visit. He said that cooperation in the area of commerce has grown significantly since the two nations signed a free trade agreement. He noted that Guatemala's exports to Taiwan have grown 125% in comparison with the previous year. He said he hopes that even more Taiwan companies will invest in his nation in the future. This will increase substantive cooperation between the two nations and help Guatemala become an increasingly efficient, prosperous and progressive nation, he said. President Berger furthermore said that Guatemala's location in Central America, near the NAFTA area, provides investors with an outstanding opportunity for investment. He said he is convinced that further solidifying the bilateral relationship between Taiwan and Guatemala is the correct path and will provide a win-win situation. In the future, he said, his administration will strive to raise industrial capacity, develop energy resources and promote tourism and higher education. He said he will look for more cooperative opportunities between the two nations.