President Ma Ying-jeou arrived in Nicaragua at 11 a.m. on July 3 Nicaragua time (12:00 a.m., July 4, Taipei time) at a military airport near the capital of Managua. ROC Ambassador to Nicaragua Wu Chin-mu and Nicaragua's Presidential Protocol Officer Roberto Quant escorted President and Mrs. Ma off of the plane, then Nicaraguan Vice President Jaime Morales Carazo greeted them on the tarmac. A military welcoming ceremony was then held.
The national anthem of Nicaragua was first played, followed by the national anthem of the ROC. After both sides introduced their officials to the other, President Ma reviewed the troops. Vice President Morales made brief remarks, after which President Ma made a short statement.
After leaving the airport, President and Mrs. Ma's motorcade headed to the National Palace of Culture where they paid their respects to the late Alexis Argüello, the recently deceased Mayor of Managua. President Ma then headed to Nicaragua's Presidential Palace where he and President Daniel Ortega Saavedra held discussions.
During the meeting, President Ma commented that one month ago when he was in El Salvador he spoke with President Ortega over the phone, and today he is delighted to have the opportunity to meet with him in person.
President Ma remarked that three days after the coup in Honduras, the ROC adopted the same attitude as that of many other nations and condemned any action that infringes on democracy and the rule of law. The president noted that Honduras is an ally of the ROC. Therefore, the ROC hopes that Honduras is able to restore normalcy as soon as possible. This is the same stance adopted by international and regional organizations. The president expressed his regret that he is unable to visit Honduras as he had originally planned, nonetheless, he said he hopes the situation will be resolved soon. President Ma said that the ROC is aware of the tradition of democracy and rule of law that has been established in Latin America over the past 20 years. It has taken considerable effort to make these achievements, but it is easy to destroy them, he said. He added that he hopes the tradition built over the past two decades will continue to move forward.
President Ma said that he senses that Latin American nations, including Nicaragua, are committed to democracy and the rule of law. He said he was deeply impressed by the similar reactions of countries in the region after the coup, adding that he especially wants to express his respects to President Ortega in this regard. The ROC government supports the efforts by international and regional organizations to restore constitutional order in Honduras, and it hopes success will be achieved in the shortest time possible.
President Ma commented that Nicaragua is a nation with gorgeous scenery and a colorful culture. The ROC and Nicaragua maintain a strong alliance, and the ROC is pleased to share its development experience with Nicaragua. At present, the two countries are carrying out a number of industrial and agricultural cooperation projects. President Ma said he is pleased to hear from President Ortega of the strong results in growing rice that have been achieved thanks to assistance from the ROC's technical mission in Nicaragua, adding that he hopes these cooperation projects can continue to be expanded.
The president remarked that the financial tsunami and economic downturn have impacted the entire world, including the ROC. However, thanks to the efforts of the entire public, the worst of the situation has passed and the economy is gradually recovering. While the pace of the rebound is slow, the people are full of confidence about the future development of the nation, and regardless of the severity of the international economic downturn, the cooperation projects between the ROC and its allies will not be impacted, he said. He further noted that the effect of the economic slowdown is even more pronounced on the ROC's allies. Therefore, the ROC is willing to continue to carry out these cooperation projects. The president said that in his travels to Central America over the past month he has realized that the ROC can strengthen its assistance to its allies in the fields of vocational training and education. We will iron out a plan with Nicaragua as soon as possible to share the ROC's experiences in the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises and vocational education, he said. These initiatives will help to further address the problem of illiteracy, thereby promoting economic development.
In the afternoon, President Ortega accompanied President Ma to Masatepe to tour a demonstration farm that produces adzuki beans. President Ma saw first hand the assistance provided by the ROC's technical mission to local farmers to improve their crops. President Ma viewed the various agricultural products and sampled a bowl of adzuki beans and rice. In addition, at the invitation of President Ortega, President Ma made remarks to the public.