President Ma Ying-jeou met with Republic of El Salvador Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugo Roger Martínez Bonilla at the Presidential Office Building on the morning of January 13. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC (Taiwan), welcomed Foreign Minister Martínez on his visit to Taiwan.
The president said that Foreign Minister Martínez provided a considerable amount of assistance to him and his delegation on their visit to El Salvador in May of last year to attend the inauguration of President Mauricio Funes. President Ma reiterated his deep gratitude to Foreign Minister Martínez for this.
President Ma also said that Foreign Minister Martínez is well-known in El Salvador as one of the most outstanding talents of his generation. Besides being trained in agronomy, he also has studied human resources and management in Costa Rica and France. In addition, he serves as the leader of his party's youth division, and has been widely recognized and praised as a prominent young leader.
The president remarked that the ROC and El Salvador have long maintained a strong relationship. In early August of last year when southern Taiwan suffered heavy flooding and landslides resulting from Typhoon Morakot, Foreign Minister Martínez made contact with officials here early on to express his concern. In September of last year, when the ROC sought to participate in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the International Civil Aviation Organization, El Salvador sent letters to related authorities expressing support and assistance for the ROC's endeavors. The ROC will always remember these gestures, the president said.
The president said that the ROC cherishes freedom, democracy, rule of law, and human rights. President Funes also stressed these points during his inauguration, showing that the two countries share common values. President Ma said the ROC is extremely pleased to continue with ongoing work designed to strengthen bilateral relations. He added that, if necessary, the two nations could look into expanding the scope of cooperation to further cement the friendship between the two nations. President Ma also said that President Funes told him previously that he intends to continue to maintain and strengthen El Salvador's diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Foreign Minister Martínez passed along the best regards of President Funes to President Ma. He also said that the ROC came to El Salvador's aid when its central region suffered serious damage from Hurricane Ida in October of last year. He expressed gratitude on behalf of the government and people of his nation for the assistance and cooperation the ROC provided in the wake of the disaster. He also expressed his hopes that besides agriculture and fishing, cooperation and interaction can also be enhanced in the areas of education and culture.