President Ma Ying-jeou completed his visit to Honduras at 6:30 a.m. on January 28 Honduras time (8:30 p.m. January 28 Taipei time) and continued his trip by heading to the Dominican Republic, a diplomatic ally of the ROC in the Caribbean. During his stay there, President Ma also met with Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, to whom he expressed his concern for the rescue and relief effort in Haiti after the earthquake. He also conveyed the best wishes and material aid from the people of Taiwan.
President Ma and his delegation arrived at Las Americas International Airport in the Dominican Republic at 11:50 a.m. local time (11:50 p.m. January 28 Taipei time). Dominican Republic Vice Foreign Minister José Manuel Trullols and other government officials boarded the president's aircraft and greeted him. President Ma then was taken by car to the Presidential Palace where he met with Dominican Republic President Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna. Haitian Prime Minister Bellerive was also invited to participate in the meeting. The in-depth discussions focused on how Haiti's friends and allies are helping it to stand up again after suffering from the devastating quake, and the efforts being made to enable life in Haiti to return to normal as soon as possible.
At 1:35 p.m. local time (1:35 a.m. January 29 Taipei time), President Ma returned to Las Americas International Airport and again met with Haitian Prime Minister Bellerive to present donated relief items that were carried on the plane with him from Taiwan. A ceremony marking the donation was held. The president told Prime Minister Bellerive that this represents compassion from Taiwan. He handed over a box of cooked canned foods and satellite phones made in Taiwan to the prime minister. President Ma remarked that communications in Haiti were severed due to the earthquake. The gift of Taiwan manufactured satellite phones has been made with the hope of facilitating communication in the Haitian government and private sector. The plane carrying President Ma on this trip was loaded with 10 tons of material aid. The president provided a list of all of the goods and a letter to Haitian President René Garcia Préval, which he asked Prime Minister Bellerive to forward.
President Ma said that three-party talks between himself, Dominican Republic President Fernández, and Haitian Prime Minister Bellerive were held earlier in the day after his arrival. Also sitting in on the meeting were key Cabinet members from the Dominican Republic, as well as heads of Taiwan's National Security Council, Council of Agriculture, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which demonstrated the concern shared by all with regards to the disaster that has hit Haiti. The president said that this journey was mainly to attend the inauguration ceremonies for Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Sosa, and he took advantage of his trip to the region to make a brief stop in the Dominican Republic. He noted that in a short three hours, the 10 tons of medicines and relief assistance were unloaded from his aircraft. He said he hopes this assistance will aid in the settlement and reconstruction work in Haiti.
President Ma stressed that the work by rescue assistance teams from Taiwan is gradually coming to an end. What will unfold next, however, is the reconstruction and resettlement process. Four key areas of work need to be carried out, he said, with assistance required in each. These are public health and medical treatment; providing shelter by erecting tents and buildings; vocational training and employment; and adoption of orphans.
President Ma said that he, President Fernández, and Prime Minister Bellerive discussed these four issues during their talks. In the course of the discussions, President Fernández mentioned that on April 14, the Dominican Republic will hold an international conference to discuss issues related to assistance to Haiti. President Ma said that President Fernández has invited Taiwan to send representatives to the meeting. In response, President Ma expressed his hopes that prior to the holding of this conference, assistance by Taiwan will have already yielded many results and that the ROC's efforts will be looked upon as a "pilot project."
The president ended his remarks by saying that with the rescue portion of assistance coming to a close, the next focus will be on reconstruction, which will be an extremely long process. He said that everyone must be prepared for a long battle. The ROC government, he said, based on its long friendship with Haiti, will resolutely support Haiti in its time of need, and hopes that countries throughout the world will work together in this effort.
Haitian Prime Minister Bellerive expressed appreciation on behalf of Haitian President René Garcia Préval and the people on Haiti for the concern exhibited by the ROC government.
Prime Minister Bellerive stressed that the attention and compassion exhibited by Taiwan towards Haiti will not be a one-way street. Rather, he said that this will further cement the already close bonds between Haiti and Taiwan. He said he hopes that with the assistance provided on many fronts, Haiti will be able to develop rapidly and one day become a developed country. The prime minister also told those present that several minutes prior to the beginning of the press conference, President Préval and President Ma also spoke over the telephone, which demonstrates the close friendship between the two sides. Prime Minister Bellerive then reiterated his deepest appreciation for the compassion passed along from Taiwan.
After the conclusion of the press conference, President Ma bid farewell to Prime Minister Bellerive and government leaders from the Dominican Republic. The president and his delegation boarded their aircraft and departed from the Dominican Republic at 2:50 p.m. local time (2:50 a.m. January 29 Taipei time), marking the completion of their stop in the Dominican Republic. The president's plane then headed for Los Angeles, California, where he was to make a transit stop.