The Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe and the Kingdom of Swaziland, both of which are diplomatic allies of the ROC, sent congratulatory delegations to Taiwan to participate in the inauguration ceremonies for the 13th-term president and vice president of the ROC. The respective delegations visited the Presidential Office on the afternoon of May 20 to meet President Ma Ying-jeou. Also attending the meeting were Vice President Wu Den-yih, National Security Council Secretary-General Hu Wei-jen (胡為真), and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ssu-Tsun Shen (沈斯淳).
During his meeting with Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe Prime Minister Patrice Emery Trovoada and Mrs. Trovoada, President Ma remarked that last year he invited ROC Judicial Yuan President Hau-min Rai (賴浩敏) to serve as his envoy in attending the inauguration of Sao Tome and Principe President Manuel Pinto da Costa. President Ma said Judicial Yuan President Rai received an enthusiastic welcome from the Sao Tome and Principe government and after returning to Taiwan he relayed Prime Minister Trovoada special regards to President Ma. The president said that he hopes that upon Prime Minister Trovoada's return to his nation that he will extend an invitation from him for President Pinto da Costa to visit Taiwan at a convenient time.
President Ma mentioned that the ROC and Sao Tome and Principe engage in a wide variety of bilateral cooperation projects, including malaria prevention, power generation, infrastructure, agricultural technology, public health, and education, all of which have yielded considerable results. For instance, the incidence of malaria there has fallen sharply to 4%, the president pointed out. Meanwhile, the construction of a new thermal power plant has significantly improved power supply. Also, construction of a national high school has been completed, while schoolchildren there have begun using solar powered desk lamps and solar powered street lamps have been erected in remote areas. President Ma also commented that work on an underwater cable that will connect Sao Tome and Principe to the African mainland is nearing completion. The ROC, he pointed out, is also assisting in formulating and carrying out a communications project, holding information-related courses, and helping Sao Tome and Principe promote e-government.
The president stated that Sao Tome and Principe has for many years resolutely supported participation for the ROC in the international community and has spoken on behalf of the ROC at many international venues. For instance, Foreign Affairs Minister Manuel Salvador dos Ramos when attending the 65th General Assembly of the United Nations in 2010 spoke in support of entry into the International Civil Aviation Organization and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for Taiwan. The president expressed his deepest appreciation for this gesture. In addition, Taiwan Maritime Transport Co. has signed a memorandum with the Sao Tome and Principe government on creating an offshore transshipment platform in the waters off Sao Tome and Principe. This shows, the president commented, that the business and commercial climate in Sao Tome and Principe is improving and has begun to attract the attention of Taiwan companies. He expressed his hopes that interaction between commercial enterprises from both countries will in the future help to bring about even more business opportunities.
Besides Prime Minister and Mrs. Trovoada, others in the delegation included Minister General Secretary Afonso Varela, Sao Tome and Principe Ambassador to Belgium Carlos Gustavo dos Anjos, and National Defense Advisor Armindo Silva.
Shortly following that meeting, President Ma met with Kingdom of Swaziland Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini. The president remarked that this is the sixth visit to Taiwan by Prime Minister Dlamini, who had last visited Taiwan in April 2009. At that time, the president said, the two exchanged opinions on bilateral cooperation matters and discussed the president’s financial sponsorship of a young girl in Swaziland.
President Ma stated that the two countries have established a strong friendship and alliance in the course of their diplomatic relationship that dates back 44 years. Bilateral cooperation projects continue to proceed smoothly, and significant accomplishments have been seen in the fields of agriculture, health care, education, and infrastructure, he said. President Ma pointed out that during his visit to Swaziland in April, he got a feel for the wonderful nature of that nation and was treated to the friendliness and hospitality of the people there in a reception not unlike that provided by the people of Taiwan. This creates an outstanding foundation for the future development of relations between the two countries, he said.
The president also mentioned that His Majesty King Mswati III celebrated his birthday last month while he was visiting Swaziland. At the time, His Majesty the King expressed three wishes -- that the friendly and cooperative relationship between the ROC and Swaziland will continue forever, that the two nations will become even more prosperous, and that the wishes of the people of the two nations will one day be realized. President Ma said the ROC will continue to play the role of an active and constructive partner of Swaziland, assisting that nation to move forward in a steady manner.
Prime Minister Dlamini was accompanied by Swaziland Ambassador to the ROC Njabuliso B. Gwebu, Government Spokesman Percy Simelane, and Senior Protocol Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sicelo Dlamini.