President Ma Ying-jeou met with Burkina Faso Minister of Defense Yero Boly at the Presidential Office on the morning of May 31. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, extended a cordial welcome to Defense Minister Boly on his visit to Taiwan.
President Ma commented that the ROC and Burkina Faso established diplomatic relations in the 1960s. Formal ties between the two nations were severed in the 1970s, and then were resumed in the 1990s. The relations between the two countries are extremely important to both sides, he said. Two years ago, the president said, Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaoré came to Taiwan to attend his inauguration. In addition, President Compaoré has spoken on behalf of Taiwan at many international venues, supporting the ROC's participation in international organizations and activities, including the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Furthermore, while busy with preparations for Burkina Faso’s 50th anniversary of independence celebrations, Prime Minister Tertius Zongo recently found time to visit Taiwan. The president said that he deeply appreciates the emphasis that Burkina Faso places on bilateral relations.
President Ma explained that since assuming office he has sought to solidify relations with the ROC's allies. He said that the ROC has been working to improve relations with mainland China in order to reduce tensions in the Taiwan Strait. At the same time, it is continuing to expand cooperation projects with diplomatic allies, he noted. Recently, the ROC has been promoting the Light for Africa project in Burkina Faso. This initiative takes advantage of a solar powered LED light to assist children in Burkina Faso in carrying out their homework at night. The lamp requires recharging for 30-40 minutes during the day after which it can operate continuously for four and a half hours at night. The cost of each lamp is US$10 and the Burkina Faso government has already ordered 1,000 of the lamps. The president expressed his hopes that this project can be extended to other areas in the future, providing assistance to even more children in households that have insufficient electricity, thereby aiding children in engaging in their studies during the evening. This will help them to cultivate good study habits, he said.
President Ma said that the ROC's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently held an exhibition featuring achievements associated with the ROC's assistance provided to Africa. Present at the event was a student from Burkina Faso who has been in Taiwan for only two years, but who displayed an amazing level of fluency in Mandarin Chinese. President Ma said this demonstrates the outstanding potential of Burkina Faso's younger generation. The president also said he hopes that bilateral cooperation projects will be able to be expanded based on the existing foundation. The ROC's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said, is preparing to provide even more scholarships to students from allied nations to come to study in Taiwan, thereby enabling even more opportunities for interaction among the youth of the ROC and its allies.
Defense Minister Boly expressed his appreciation to President Ma for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with him, as well as for the warm reception that he and members of his delegation have received on their visit. He also extended best wishes to President Ma on behalf of President Compaoré.
Defense Minister Boly was accompanied to the Presidential Office in the morning by Minister of National Defense Kao Hua-chu to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Advisor Chung Chien.