President Ma Ying-jeou on the afternoon of January 14 met with Republic of Sao Tome and Principe Prime Minister Dr. Patrice Emery Trovoada and Mrs. Trovoada. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, extended a cordial welcome to the couple on their visit to Taiwan.
The president noted that this is the first visit to Taiwan by the prime minister since he assumed his position, and this trip falls during the centenary of the ROC. Prime Minister Trovoada and his father Miguel Trovoada, former president of Sao Tome and Principe, played key roles in the establishing of relations with the ROC in 1997. The president remarked that the resolute, longstanding alliance between the two countries has brought enormous progress in bilateral cooperation projects. In particular, Prime Minister Trovoada, since winning his current post with widespread support, has worked hard to strengthen his nation, and the ROC, as a longstanding ally of Sao Tome and Principe, will continue to assist its friend in its development and the establishment of infrastructure.
President Ma expressed special appreciation to the Sao Tome and Principe government for its long-term support for the ROC's participation in international organizations and activities. He mentioned that when Sao Tome's Foreign Minister Manuel Salvador dos Ramos attended the 65th General Assembly of the United Nations in 2010, he made a point of advocating the ROC's participation in the International Civil Aviation Organization and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Prime Minister Trovoada has also pledged to continue to support the ROC in international venues, and the government and people of the ROC will always remember this gesture of friendship, he said.
The president remarked that immediately upon the establishment of diplomatic relations, the ROC began pursuing cooperation projects in such areas as infrastructure, agriculture, public health, malaria prevention, power generation, and education. Significant achievements have been seen in all these areas, he commented. The malaria eradication task force dispatched by the ROC reduced the incidence of malaria in that nation to 3.7% from 50%. Meanwhile, a thermal power plant built with assistance from the ROC provides 50% of the Sao Tomean power supply. The people of the ROC are proud of these achievements, and cooperation will continue, he said.
President Ma explained he has made every effort since taking office to improve relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. Negotiations between the two sides were resumed under the 1992 Consensus and the principle of "one China, respective interpretations." The two sides, he noted, have now signed 15 agreements, and tension in the Taiwan Strait has been greatly reduced, enabling the development of a cross-strait peace that is conducive to regional stability and peace. And with ties between Taiwan and mainland China warming, the ROC has gained much more breathing room in the international community. The president stated that the European Union on January 11 of this year formally included the ROC in its visa waiver program, bringing the number of countries to which ROC nationals can travel visa-free to 97. Meanwhile, assistance provided by Sao Tome and other friends and allies has made it possible for the ROC to participate in the World Health Assembly and the Agreement on Government Procurement, enabling the ROC to be a constructive member of the world community, he said. The president specially thanked Sao Tome and Principe for its unwavering support in this respect, and also expressed his hope that the alliance and cooperation between the two nations will become even stronger.
Prime Minister and Mrs. Trovoada were accompanied to the Presidential Office in the afternoon 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.