President Ma Ying-jeou on the morning of December 4 at the Presidential Office met with Mr. Gottfried-Karl Kindermann and other foreign guests who have come to Taiwan to participate in The 25th Taiwan-European Conference. The president extended a warm welcome and appreciation to the guests for making the special journey to Taiwan to attend the event.
The president said that over the past 25 years Taiwan and European nations have engaged in a wide range of academic exchanges. The Taiwan-European Conference, he said, plays an important role in such interaction, and it reflects the considerable improvement in relations between Taiwan and European countries.
President Ma commented that the European Union (EU) is Taiwan's fourth largest trading partner and has staunchly supported Taiwan in various international affairs. For instance, he said the EU expressed its support for the Second Chiang-Chen Talks held this year between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. The EU has also supported Taiwan's entry to the World Health Assembly and continues with its arms embargo against Mainland China, he said. While Taiwan and European nations do not maintain formal diplomatic relations, the president said that the aforementioned stances of the EU demonstrate the enormous progress in substantive ties between Taiwan and Europe.
President Ma also mentioned that the number of tourists from Taiwan visiting Japan increased substantially after Japan granted visa-free courtesies to Taiwan tourists and both countries mutually recognized the driver's licenses issued by the other. Taiwan, he said, already offers visa-free courtesies to most EU member states. If the EU would reciprocate and provide the same visa-free treatment to Taiwan tourists, the president said he is confident that the number of Taiwan travelers to Europe would rise considerably. This would also pave the way for increased interaction and cooperation, he said.
Mr. Kindermann expressed his gratitude to President Ma for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with him and the others. He praised President Ma for the diplomatic agenda he has adopted and the efficiency he has displayed with regards to cross-strait policies. Mr. Kindermann said he believes the four agreements signed between the two sides mark an important breakthrough after a 60-year divide. This should facilitate further communication and negotiation in the future, he said.
In addition to Mr. Kindermann, the foreign guests attending The 25th Taiwan-European Conference included Mr. Janos Terenyi, Mr. Finn Laursen, Mr. Hermann Halbeisen, Mr. Christopher Hughes, Mr. Valentin Golovachev, Ms. Theresa Fallon and Mr. Benoit Vermander. Accompanying the group to the Presidential Office in the morning to meet President Ma were Hungarian Commercial Office in Taiwan Deputy Representative Mr. Tamas Feher and Director of National Chengchi University's Institute of International Relations Mr. Tuan-yao Cheng.