President Ma Ying-jeou met with Central American Parliament President Gloria Guadalupe Oquelí, of Honduras, at the Presidential Office on the morning of March 4. The president extended a cordial welcome to Parliament President Oquelí and thanked her for coming to Taiwan.
The president commented that the Central American Parliament was established in 1991. In 1999, the ROC's Legislative Yuan reached an agreement with the organization, enabling the ROC to be a permanent observer at the body. At present, six members of the Legislative Yuan maintain close contacts with the Central American Parliament, he said.
President Ma furthermore said that the Central American Parliament is an important international organization in the region. The powers of the body were amended in February of last year, enabling it to more effectively represent the interests of the region and pursue contact and cooperation with partners outside of Central America.
The president expressed deep appreciation to the Central American Parliament for its long support for the ROC (Taiwan), adding that the body not only supports participation for Taiwan in United Nations-affiliated organizations, such as the World Health Organization and the World Health Assembly, but also urges its members to maintain strong alliances with the ROC. He said the ROC (Taiwan) will continue to engage in cooperation with the Central American Parliament on a wide range of issues, hoping for even further development in bilateral and multilateral relations.
In addressing the development of foreign relations and ties between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, the president said we hope that peace and prosperity will serve as the foundation in improving cross-strait relations. The "three direct links" between Taiwan and mainland China have been realized, enabling tensions between the two sides to drop to a new low. President Ma expressed his hope that the reconciliation between the two sides can be further expanded to the international community with both sides refraining from seeking to woo the diplomatic allies of the other, which only leads to the waste of resources and a contentious environment.
President Ma told Parliament President Oquelí and ambassadors stationed here that the ROC (Taiwan) emphasizes friendship and strives to cultivate relationships with nations that stand by their principles. He said that Taiwan will continue to carry out existing cooperation projects with its friends and allies and will even expand these initiatives to strengthen bilateral relations. Taiwan is a peacemaker, he said, adding that interaction with allies not only creates more room for Taiwan to exist in the international community, but also helps provide the assistance required by its allies.
Ms. Oquelí noted that the organization she leads is comprised of members from six countries and 42 different political parties. She said that most of those joining the delegation on this trip are important decision makers in the body. She praised the ROC government for its efficiency, transparency and its "can do" spirit. The guests not only expressed their appreciation to the ROC government for its attention to cooperative bilateral relations, but also reiterated their staunch support for the ROC.