President Ma Ying-jeou, in the company of Vice President Vincent C. Siew, on the afternoon of May 22 at the Presidential Office met with Republic of Haiti Special Envoy Fritz Longchamp and St. Vincent and the Grenadines Governor-General Frederick Ballantyne and Mrs. Ballantyne. In addition to expressing a warm welcome to the visitors on behalf of the government and people of the ROC (Taiwan), President Ma thanked them for their efforts and contributions in promoting the diplomatic alliances and cooperative relations between their nations and Taiwan.
During his discussions with Mr. Longchamp, President Ma said he is particularly honored to have the opportunity to meet with the Chief of Staff to the President of Haiti. President Ma thanked Mr. Longchamp for leading a delegation to Taiwan to attend the inauguration ceremonies for the twelfth-term president and vice president. The president said while he has never visited Haiti, he has heard from friends and many people in the diplomatic corps who have served there that Haiti is an enchanting nation. He said he hopes that cooperation between the two countries can be strengthened based on the existing foundation, which would further bolster friendship and the alliance between the two.
Mr. Longchamp passed along congratulations to President Ma and Vice President Siew from Haiti President René Preval. He also noted President Preval's hope to have talks with President Ma in the future so that the two can exchange opinions on issues of mutual concern. Mr. Longchamp expressed Haiti's gratitude for the support and assistance provided by the ROC (Taiwan) government to his nation, furthermore wishing President Ma success in his capacity as president.
A short while later, President Ma met with St. Vincent and the Grenadines Governor-General Ballantyne. President Ma first, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC (Taiwan), thanked Governor-General Ballantyne for leading a delegation to attend the inauguration of the twelfth-term president and vice president. He said he expects both countries will continue to solidify the friendship existing between the two, adding he hopes that existing cooperation projects will continue to be carried out. President Ma noted that Governor-General Ballantyne is a renowned physician and is a well-loved leader in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He reiterated his appreciation to Government-General Ballantyne for leading a delegation to Taiwan.
President Ma said that a number of students from St. Vincent and the Grenadines come to Taiwan to study. He said this is very positive and that it helps to bolster friendship and bonds between the two countries, along with enabling students to get to build friendships with people in other countries and expand their international horizons. The president also said that guests and dignitaries to the state dinner on the evening of the inauguration were transported to Kaohsiung by the high speed rail, the Kaohsiung mass rapid transit system and shuttle buses rather than limousines. He pointed out that these arrangements were made intentionally to express Taiwan's commitment to conserving energy and reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. In addition, the food at the state dinner came primarily from southern Taiwan, which also was aimed at reducing the need to transport food. This was another effort to prevent pollution, he said. The president said he hoped Governor-General Ballantyne understood the reasoning and the effort made in the arrangements.
Governor-General Ballantyne applauded the efforts made by organizers to reduce carbon emissions during the celebration and said that this has made a deep impression on him. He added that protecting the environment is the shared responsibility of all humanity. The governor-general expressed his best wishes to President Ma, Vice President Siew and the new government on taking office. He also thanked the ROC (Taiwan) government for its concern for and assistance provided to his nation.
Haiti Envoy Longchamp and St. Vincent and the Grenadines Governor-General Ballantyne were accompanied to the Presidential Office by Haiti Charge D'affaires to the ROC Mario Chouloute and ROC Ambassador to St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tsai Erh-huang, respectively. Also in attendance was Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Javier Ching-shan Hou.