President Ma Ying-jeou met with Bédouma Alain Yoda, Burkina Faso's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation, at the Presidential Office on the morning of June 15. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, extended a warm welcome to Minister Yoda on his visit to Taiwan.
President Ma stated that the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1994 and since then have promoted bilateral relations on a foundation of mutual benefit. The relationship has proven extremely fruitful for both sides. In addition, the president said that Burkina Faso at international venues has continuously supported the ROC's participation in World Health Organization (WHO) activities. In December 2009 when attending the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties, Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaoré spoke on behalf of the ROC. President Ma specially expressed his gratitude for these efforts.
The president remarked that Foreign Affairs Minister Yoda has an outstanding academic background and rich experience. In 2008 and 2009 when Burkina Faso served as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Minister Yoda assisted President Compaoré in handling and mediating international disputes, and he made outstanding contributions in helping to settle important international issues, the president said. In addition, under the leadership of President Compaoré, Burkina Faso has modernized rapidly, becoming a model in West Africa. President Ma furthermore expressed his admiration for President Compaoré in playing a decisive role in regional issues and becoming a regional leader.
President Ma took this opportunity to explain the Light for Africa project that the ROC is promoting. This initiative is aimed at helping resolve problems facing the children of Burkina Faso in studying in the evening due to a lack of light. The project is promoting use of solar powered LED lamps. The president noted that the ROC's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently held an exhibition to mark Africa Day. During the event, a student from Burkina Faso who is studying in Taiwan took the podium and delivered remarks. While the student has been in Taiwan for only two years, his fluency in Mandarin Chinese was quite remarkable. The president said that he is pleased to see that scholarships provided by Taiwan are offering educational opportunities that are producing such outstanding results.
The president also noted he is pleased by the progress in cooperation projects between the two countries. He said that this is the second time he has met with Minister Yoda this year, which demonstrates the extremely close interaction between the two sides. The president expressed his hopes that this visit by Minister Yoda will help to pave the way for the further development of bilateral relations, enabling the friendship between the two countries to continue to strengthen.
Foreign Minister Yoda was accompanied to the Presidential Office in the morning by Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Chin-tien Yang to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Advisor Tung Kuo-yu.