President Ma Ying-jeou met with Governor Jack Markell of the US State of Delaware at the Presidential Office on the morning of November 9 and extended a warm welcome to the governor on behalf of the government and people of Taiwan.
The president said that despite having a small population, Delaware has the distinction of being "America's First State"—on December 7, 1787, Delaware became the first of the original 13 states to ratify the Constitution of the United States and join the federal government. President Ma said he is confident that this visit to Taiwan by Governor Markell will help to foster increased interaction between his state and Taiwan.
President Ma remarked that Taiwan and Delaware established a sister relationship in September 2000. Over the past decade, the two sides have maintained close ties in the areas of trade, legal affairs, and culture, he said, adding that the Delaware General Assembly has on many occasions passed resolutions supporting Taiwan's entry into the World Health Organization and urging the US government to sign a free trade agreement with Taiwan. The president expressed special appreciation to Delaware for its staunch friendship.
The president mentioned that Governor Markell has made excellent progress in fostering the development of green energy in Delaware and balancing the state's budget, winning strong support in the state. At the same time, the governor has put emphasis on education and educational reform, and Delaware ranks first among the states in the Race to the Top program initiated by the federal government. President Ma added that while small, Delaware is a leader in many important policies.
President Ma explained that Taiwan has chalked up many achievements in the development of green energy technology, the implementation of energy conservation and carbon reduction measures, and the efficient use of energy. He said that this is a perfect field for cooperation between Taiwan and Delaware, adding that he hopes Governor Markell will further promote bilateral relations and enable both sides to engage in even closer cooperation in the coming decade.
Governor Markell was escorted to the Presidential Office in the morning by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ssu-Tsun Shen to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Chih-kung Liu.