President Chen Shui-bian, presently in Honduras on his "Trip of Joint Grand Vision and Eternal Concern," at 10 a.m. on August 23 Honduras time (August 23, midnight, Taipei time), addressed the National Congress of Honduras. In addition, the president was accorded the Gran Cruz Extraordinaria de Placa de Oro by National Congress President Roberto Micheletti Bain.
After completing a visit to the Tegucigalpa City Hall and laying a wreath at the statue of the founding father of Honduras, President Chen and members of his entourage walked to the nearby National Congress building. Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee greeted President Chen at the door to the National Congress building. In addition, President Chen received greetings from well-wishers as he walked to the building. The warm reception by the public left a deep impression on the president and those traveling with him.
When arriving at the National Congress building, President Chen was ushered to the Salon de Retratos where he met with Congress President Micheletti for a brief visit. President Chen then appeared before the assembly to address the congressmen.
The president said that since President Zelaya took office, he has been quite aggressive in taking measures to address the urgent needs of the Honduran people and has strived to eradicate poverty. The Honduran government has promoted a number of projects, which thanks to the leadership of National Congress President Micheletti and the support of congressman, have been successfully implemented, benefiting countless people in Honduras. National Congress President Micheletti has placed special emphasis on issues related to the livelihood of the people of his nation, and he has specially overseen efforts by administrative agencies to fight crime and improve safety. President Chen said he is confident that the Republic of Honduras will continue to witness development and increasing prosperity thanks to the close cooperation of the administrative and legislative arms of the government.
President Chen furthermore said Taiwan is the best partner in development for Honduras. He said Taiwan has an obligation to work with Honduras in meeting its urgent needs of reducing poverty and fostering grassroots development. These efforts include providing information education, reducing the digital gap, improving sanitation and ensuring the safety of drinking water, providing children with nutritious lunches, and staging mobile medical clinics. These projects aim to reach all corners of Honduras, directly helping the people.
At noontime, President Chen returned to his hotel and spoke with St. Lucia Acting Prime Minister Stephenson King over the telephone. The president expressed his concern about the damage suffered by St. Lucia after a hurricane recently swept through the island.
Acting Prime Minister King told the president that while he is presently quite busy with official business, he hopes to make a visit to Taiwan early next year. The acting deputy prime minister of St. Lucia will visit Taiwan next month to sign a bilateral cooperation agreement. Acting Prime Minister King also said that he will express support for Taiwan in its effort to join the United Nations when he attends the UN General Assembly in September.
President Chen also asked Acting Prime Minister King to pass along his best regards to Prime Minister John Compton and his wife, and to express his wishes for a speedy recovery by the prime minister.