Taipei, Feb. 13 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian expressed hope Thursday that he can visit Mongolia to increase Taiwan-Mongolian sports and educational exchanges.
Receiving Mongolian congressmen Janlav Narantsatsralt and Dulam Sougar at the Presidential Office, Chen expressed satisfaction with the development of Taiwan-Mongolia relations and said he hopes bilateral ties can be further strengthened, especially in sports and educational exchanges.
He also praised Narantsatsralt, a former Mongolian prime minister, for his efforts to promote Taiwan-Mongolia relations.
Chen noted that under the joint efforts of Narantsatsralt and himself, Taiwan and Mongolia have established representative offices in each other's capitals. Taipei and Ulan Bator established sisterhood ties in 1997, he added.
For his part, Narantsatsralt praised Chen for his contribution to Taiwan's democratization and the development of Taiwan-Mongolia relations and assured him that bilateral ties will become closer.
The Mongolian congressmen were accompanied by Vice Foreign Minister Tou Chou-seng and Deputy Secretary-General to the President Joseph Wu during the meeting with Chen.