President Ma Ying-jeou met with former President of the Republic of Latvia Dr. Vaira Vike-Freiberga and Mrs. Vike-Freiberga at the Presidential Office on the afternoon of April 9. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC (Taiwan), extended a cordial welcome to the couple on their visit to Taiwan.
The president remarked that relations between the ROC and Latvia can be traced back to 1936. Prior to World War II, ROC senior diplomat Guo Tai-chi and Latvia's Ambassador to the UK Charles Zarine represented the two countries in signing a friendship treaty in London. The document took effect in December of that year. After the Soviet Union annexed Latvia, however, the friendship treaty could not be implemented. The president stressed that the ROC never recognized the Soviet Union's invasion of Latvia. Latvia's Museum of History specially lists the countries that recognized Latvia during World War II, and the ROC is on that list, he said.
President Ma commented that after Eastern Europe regained freedom in 1990, the ROC once again began building relations with Latvia; bilateral relations have developed quite rapidly, as the two countries are engaged in many joint research projects, especially in science and education. Presently, over 70 students from Latvia study in Taiwan, and interaction between the two nations is quite close, he said. In recent years, the president noted, the ROC has been actively sharing its experience in the development of information technology to reciprocate the assistance it has received from the international community in the past. He said that we are happy to share the computer technology, pharmaceuticals, and vaccines with other countries.
The president furthermore said that over the past several decades, former President Vike-Freiberga and Mrs. Vike-Freiberga spent time in France, Monaco, and Canada to complete their education before returning to Latvia. Mr. Vike-Freiberga served as president for two terms, and during his tenure he helped steer Latvia to become a member of NATO and join the European Union (EU), enabling his country to become one of the most dynamic countries in Europe. President Ma said that even though trade between the ROC and Latvia only stands at just over US$100 million, efforts can be made to bolster relations in other areas. He said he would be pleased to see both countries continue to promote non-official interaction in the areas of economy, culture, education, and technology.
President Ma also mentioned Taiwan's relations with the EU. This year Taiwan and the EU are negotiating measures to provide visa-free courtesies for Taiwanese traveling to EU nations, and are also in discussions on EU-Taiwan Trade Enhancement Measures (TEM). He said he expects bilateral relations between Taiwan and the EU will be advanced, and believes that relations between the ROC and Latvia will move forward based on the core foundation of freedom, democracy, and prosperity.
Mr. Vike-Freiberga said that his trip here has enabled him to experience the beauty of Taiwan. He added that he has been deeply impressed by the development of Taiwan's high-tech industry. President Ma explained to the guests the ROC's cross-strait policies and the direction of its foreign policy, and Mr. Vike-Freiberga expressed admiration for our government's rational and pragmatic diplomatic policies. President Ma and Mr. Vike-Freiberga also engaged in discussions on the international plight of smaller nations and new directions in cross-strait relations.
Mr. Vike-Freiberga was accompanied to the Presidential Office in the afternoon by Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Chin-tien Yang. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Ho Szu-yin.