President Ma Ying-jeou on the morning of April 12 met with Republic of the Marshall Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs John M. Silk and Ebon Atoll Mayor Lajan Kabua. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, cordially welcomed the visitors to Taiwan.
The president said that in late March last year he visited the ROC's diplomatic allies in the South Pacific and his first stop was the Marshall Islands. He remarked that it was during his tenure as Taipei City mayor that the two nations established formal diplomatic ties, and that Taipei and Majuro shortly thereafter announced a sister city arrangement. At the time, he dispatched the then Taipei Deputy Mayor Bai Hsiu-hsiung to visit the Marshall Islands. The president added that it is quite obvious that the two countries maintain a close and friendly relationship.
President Ma noted that on his visit to the Marshall Islands he met with President Jurelang Zedkaia and the two exchanged opinions on matters of mutual concern. He also took advantage of his stop there to check on the achievements of medical action teams sent by Taipei's Wan Fang Hospital. There he saw first-hand how people with eye disorders had recovered their sight and told him of the joy of the new lease on life they were given. President Ma said the visit left a deep impression on him.
The president also stated he was quite pleased by the results of the various cooperation projects between the two countries. For instance, to date about 100 students have completed training to work as auto mechanics, plumbers, or electricians, and have now entered the labor market, providing consumers in the Marshall Islands with outstanding service, he remarked, adding that the program is helping to boost technical standards in that nation and reduce unemployment. In addition, the two countries are presently involved in negotiations on an extradition treaty, he said.
In order to further expand bilateral cooperation, the president expressed his hope that the ROC can assist the Marshall Islands in the development and establishment of solar power facilities, thereby helping it to reduce oil imports and turn to cleaner energy sources. Moreover, Taiwan's advanced computer manufacturing technology can be used to assist in the computerization of workplaces in the Marshall Islands. President Ma said that these cooperation projects are an important part of Taiwan's flexible diplomacy initiative, and are in line with the principle of "seeking proper goals, acting lawfully, and exercising effective administration" which governs the ROC's foreign assistance.
ROC Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Chin-tien Yang and Marshall Islands Ambassador to the ROC Phillip K. Kabua accompanied the visitors to the Presidential Office to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Advisor Tung Kuo-yu.