President Ma Ying-jeou on the afternoon of August 27 at the Presidential Office met with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Louis Straker and Mrs. Straker. The president extended a warm welcome on behalf of the government.
President Ma said that the ROC and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have had diplomatic relations for over 20 years and the two maintain close contacts. He noted that this marks the fifth visit to Taiwan by Deputy Prime Minister Straker. The president also said that Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has visited Taiwan many times, demonstrating the extremely friendly ties that exist between the two countries. President Ma said he hopes that Deputy Prime Minister Straker's visit to Taiwan this time will pave the way for the further strengthening of cooperation between the two nations.
President Ma said that he recently visited the Caribbean to attend the inauguration of Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez to another term. He said he hopes to have the opportunity to visit Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at some point in the future, adding that he would like to personally see the beauty of that nation.
The president noted that prior to returning to his nation to serve in government, Deputy Prime Minister Straker worked for Chemical Bank in New York City between 1967 and 1992. The president said that he himself had in the past worked in a law firm on Wall Street. As a result both he and Deputy Prime Minister Straker at points in the past resided in New York City, but it is unfortunate that the two did not meet each other during that time. He said he hopes that Deputy Prime Minister Straker's visit to Taiwan will enable bilateral relations to develop further and foster closer ties between the people of the two countries.
Deputy Prime Minister Straker thanked President Ma for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with him. He added that he is delighted to have the opportunity to visit Taiwan again. He noted that relations between the two countries have been extremely cordial during the 27 years of diplomatic ties between the two. He said the friendship has been of considerable assistance to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in its development, adding that he will continue to work to promote bilateral interaction and cooperation. The deputy prime minister also expressed his hopes that President and Mrs. Ma will make a visit to his nation at their earliest convenience.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Straker and Mrs. Straker were accompanied to the Presidential Office in the afternoon by Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco H. L. Ou to meet with President Ma. Also in attendance was National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Ho Szu-yin.