Taipei, Dec. 2 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian on Monday expressed his gratitude for Dominican Republic President Hipolito Mejia Dominguez's strong support for the Republic of China and its bid to return to the United Nations and other international organizations.
The ROC head of state made the remarks while holding his first talk with his Dominican counterpart at the presidential office since Mejia's arrival Dec. 1 for a three-day official visit.
During the talk, which took place right after a military salute ceremony in honor of the Dominican president held in the square in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in downtown Taipei, President Chen welcomed the head of state of the Caribbean country on behalf of the ROC government and people.
President Chen said that he is honored by President Mejia's visit to Taiwan, his second since becoming the Dominican Republic head of state and the 24th visit to Taiwan by a Dominican president.
President Chen also expressed his gratitude for the Dominican president's firm stance in support of the ROC in all international activities as well as Taiwan's bid to return to the United Nations and other international organizations.
Chen recalled that his participation in Mejia's presidential inauguration ceremony two years ago has so far been his only opportunity to take part in such an event of a friendly country's head of state.
President Chen expressed the hope that through careful protection, the sixty-year-long friendship between the ROC and the Dominican Republic will be able to be maintained as a strong relationship of exchanges and cooperation. He also said he hopes that based on this solid foundation, a new era in relations between the two countries will be created.
In response, the Dominican president, accompanied by a 17-member entourage, including representatives of leading enterprises, said that he hopes that his country will be able to cope with the problem of poverty with its own forces as Taiwan did.