The new Ambassador of the Republic of Paraguay to the ROC Carlos Martinez Ruiz Díaz presented his credentials to President Ma Ying-jeou on February 5.
A ceremony in which Ambassador Martinez submitted his credentials was held at the Presidential Building at 5 p.m. Ambassador Martinez was escorted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Acting Director of Protocol Liu Der-li. Secretary General to the President Liouyi Liao and Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Chin-tien Yang were also present.
After the conclusion of the formalities, President Ma, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, expressed a cordial welcome to Ambassador Martinez. The president noted that Paraguay is the ROC's only diplomatic ally in South America, saying the two nations have maintained diplomatic ties for 53 years and the alliance between the two is quite strong. Last year, the president said, he had the honor of attending the inauguration ceremonies for President Fernando Lugo. President Ma remarked that during his trip to Paraguay he deeply sensed the warmth and hospitality of the Paraguayan people, as well as their passion for freedom and democracy.
The president furthermore said that during meeting with President Lugo, he mentioned his hopes that the bilateral cooperative relationship be expanded in areas such as public health and agricultural technology. President Ma stated that besides continuing to provide assistance, the ROC is also engaged in talks with Paraguay on other cooperation projects, adding that he is extremely optimistic on the prospects for future cooperation between the two. The president also stressed that the ROC hopes to solidify its diplomatic relationship with Paraguay. Nonetheless, it does not oppose Paraguay developing non-official trade and economic relations with mainland China.
President Ma commented that the election of President Lugo marked an important milestone in Paraguay's history and completed the first transfer of power among political parties in decades. Taiwan is pleased to invite this important leader from Latin America to visit, he said, adding that he hopes that arrangements for a trip to Taiwan by President Lugo can be realized as soon as possible.
Ambassador Martinez remarked that he feels deeply honored to serve as Paraguay's Ambassador to the ROC. The two nations have forged a close relationship, which proves to the world that geographic distances do not impact the alliance and friendship between the two countries. Ambassador Martinez said that President Lugo is carefully considering an appropriate time to visit Taiwan, and that he believes the visit will be realized in the not too distant future.