President Ma Ying-jeou on the morning of March 14 welcomed Republic of Paraguay President Fernando Lugo Méndez to Taiwan with full military honors. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, expressed a warm welcome to President Lugo on his first state visit to Taiwan.
The welcoming ceremony, which took place at Liberty Square in front of the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall at 10:00 a.m., included a 21-gun salute, the playing of the national anthems of the two countries, and inspections by both leaders of the tri-service honor guard. Both President Ma and President Lugo also delivered remarks. Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bin then presented a key to the city to President Lugo. Vice President Vincent C. Siew, other ROC government leaders, and members of the foreign diplomatic corps also attended the ceremony.
Noting that the Republic of Paraguay is the ROC's sole diplomatic ally in South America, President Ma stated that the two nations established formal ties in 1957 and the relationship between the countries is quite strong. This year not only marks the ROC's centenary, but also the 200th anniversary of Paraguay's independence, making President Lugo's visit here all the more significant, he said.
The president remarked that he attended President Lugo's inauguration on August 15, 2008, and that the warmth, hospitality, and diligence of the Paraguayan people made a deep impression on him. He added that President Lugo is a warm and sincere person who has instituted many reforms since his inauguration, such as purging the government of corruption, reviving the industrial and agricultural sectors, and improving the health and medical environment. These efforts have significantly improved the well-being of the Paraguayan people and made President Lugo highly popular among his nation's populace, he said.
President Ma remarked that Paraguay is a country with abundant natural and human resources. The Itaipu hydro-electric dam is the second largest in the world in terms of annual generating capacity, and Paraguay's economic growth last year hit a 60-year record of 14.5%. The president expressed his hope that the ROC can share with Paraguay its experiences in developing its technology sector as well as international economic and trade ties, and furthermore stated that he desires cooperation between the two countries to be expanded to more areas in an effort to promote the bilateral alliance.
Shortly after the welcoming ceremony, President Ma, accompanied by Vice President Siew, met with President Lugo at the Presidential Office. President Ma stated that since taking office in May 2008, he has adopted "flexible diplomacy" to replace the "scorched earth diplomacy" of the past. The objective has been to solidify ties between the ROC and its diplomatic allies, and to expand the ROC's participation in the international community. Besides the ROC's 23 diplomatic allies, the president pointed to improved substantive relations between the ROC and a number of countries with which it does not maintain formal ties, such as the United States, Japan, the European Union, ASEAN, New Zealand, and Australia. He said that mutual trust at the highest levels has been restored with the United States since he took office, and pointed out that former President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama have both welcomed the current cross-strait policy adopted by Taiwan. These foreign leaders believe that our actions are truly contributing to peace in East Asia, which proves that "flexible diplomacy" is aiding Taiwan's survival and development in the international community.
President Ma further stated that since adoption of "flexible diplomacy," cooperative relationships between the ROC and many of its diplomatic allies, including Paraguay, have advanced. He said he hopes cooperation between the two will expand even further based on the principles of mutual benefit and consensus. President Ma also thanked Paraguay for repeatedly speaking on behalf of the ROC in international venues, enabling the ROC to make greater contributions in international organizations and activities.