Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

President Ma Ying-jeou on the morning of June 20 met with Dominican Republic Ambassador to the ROC Víctor Manuel Sánchez Peña and Mrs. Sánchez. The president expressed his appreciation to Ambassador Sánchez, who will soon conclude his tenure here, for his contributions to the alliance between the two countries. He also said he hopes that Ambassador Sánchez will continue to introduce Taiwan to the people of the Dominican Republic and assist the ROC in expanding its participation in the international community.

The president noted that Ambassador Sánchez first served in this capacity here from 1997 to 2000, before coming back to Taiwan in 2004. He has now served over 10 years in the ROC, and is among the few from the Dominican Republic who thoroughly understand Taiwan. The ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs has specially honored Ambassador Sánchez with the Order of Propitious Clouds with Grand Cordon in recognition of the ambassador's efforts to promote friendship and the alliance between the two nations, the president noted.

President Ma stated that three years ago when he visited the Dominican Republic he met with President Leonel Fernández and the two had especially pleasant discussions as both had previously studied and worked in New York. Relations between the two countries have continued to develop in a stable manner, the president said. In addition, last year after completing a visit to Honduras to attend the inauguration of President Porfirio Lobo Sosa , President Ma made a special stop in the Dominican Republic capital of Santo Domingo to meet with President Fernández and then Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive to discuss a project to provide assistance to Haiti in the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck the Caribbean nation. President Ma said President Fernández showed himself to have the stature of a regional leader.

At the same time, President Ma said that the Dominican Republic last year sent a letter to the United Nations supporting Taiwan's participation in the International Civil Aviation Organization and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The president expressed his appreciation for this gesture.

Ambassador Sánchez mentioned that his experience as a diplomat here has helped to broaden his expertise and abilities as an ambassador. He added that he will never forget the warmth and diligence of the people of Taiwan. Regardless of his duties in the future, he said that he will continue to be a friend to the ROC, and will staunchly defend the nation's interests.

Ambassador and Mrs. Sánchez were accompanied to the Presidential Office in the morning by Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Chin-tien Yang (楊進添) to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Advisor Tung Kuo-yu (董國猷).