President Ma Ying-jeou met with a delegation led by Republic of Paraguay Chamber of Deputies President Víctor Bogado at the Presidential Office on the morning of November 12. The president extended a warm welcome on behalf of the government and people of the ROC to Mr. Bogado on his third visit to Taiwan. President Ma praised Mr. Bogado as a young and active political figure who has been appointed as chamber president three times. Mr. Bogado is an outstanding statesman in Paraguay and is highly popular among the people, he said.
President Ma noted that Mr. Bogado's visit to Taiwan comes shortly after the opening of the 2010 Taipei International Flora Exposition, which he explained is the largest internationally sanctioned event ever held here. The International Association of Horticultural Producers, which sponsors the exposition, has lauded this year's expo as the most successful in the 50-year history of the event, the president said, adding that he hopes Mr. Bogado will have an opportunity to take in the spectacle.
President Ma remarked that Paraguay is the ROC's only diplomatic ally in South America. The two nations have enjoyed a stable and resolute alliance since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1957, said the president, who visited Paraguay in August 2008 to attend the inauguration of Fernando Lugo as president. He also attended a banquet by outgoing president Nicanor Duarte at that time, and interacted with a number of high-ranking Paraguayan officials.
President Ma explained that he has worked tirelessly over the past two-plus years since taking office to improve relations with mainland China and reduce tension in the Taiwan Strait. As a result, signs of peace are emerging after 60 years of confrontation. President Ma commented that Paraguay is an important ally of the ROC, and the longstanding friendship between the two nations will not be affected by cross-strait rapprochement. The president expressed his hopes that cooperation and interaction between the ROC and Paraguay will be further expanded.
President Ma stressed that the ROC and Paraguay both cherish freedom, peace, democracy, and human rights, and the two countries will continue to develop friendly and cooperative relations on the basis of their common commitment to these core values. The president also said he was quite impressed by the outstanding performance at the World Cup by Paraguay's national football team, which made it to the quarterfinals earlier this year in South Africa.
Mr. Bogado's delegation 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 Deputy Secretary-General Chih-kung Liu.