President Ma Ying-jeou on the morning of May 21 received delegations from the ROC's diplomatic allies of the Dominican Republic and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, both of which were in Taiwan to participate in events associated with the inauguration of the 13th-term president and vice president of the ROC. Dominican Republic Deputy Foreign Minister Miguel Anibal Pichardo Olivier and St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph E. Gonsalves led delegations to the Presidential Office to meet with the president. Also attending the meetings were Vice President Wu Den-yih, Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Chin-tien Yang (楊進添), and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tung Kuoyu (董國猷).
When meeting with Dominican Republic Deputy Foreign Minister Pichardo, President Ma remarked that May 20 happened to be the presidential election in the Dominican Republic. President Ma expressed his appreciation to President Leonel Fernandez for sending an envoy to Taiwan to attend the inauguration ceremonies here at a juncture that was also very important for his own nation. The president also asked Deputy Foreign Minister Pichardo to pass along his best wishes to President Fernandez.
President Ma remarked that the Dominican Republic is an important ally of the ROC in the Caribbean and that the two nations have a diplomatic relationship that dates back over 60 years to 1944. The president noted that he has visited the Dominican Republic twice in the last four years. In particular, he stopped in that nation shortly after the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti early in 2010 in order to deliver relief goods and assistance, which were then transported from the Dominican Republic to Haiti. During that visit, he witnessed the empathetic spirit of President Fernandez, who was active in assisting Haiti in carrying out its rescue and relief work. Expressing his admiration, President Ma said that this showed President Fernandez to be an individual full of compassion and a model politician. The president also commented that Deputy Foreign Minister Pichardo previously visited Taiwan in 2000 and 2003 to attend a conference for foreign ministers and a summit for heads of state, respectively, and that he has an outstanding reputation in the Dominican Republic.
President Ma also mentioned that President Fernandez is extremely diligent in his work, loves the people of his nation, and has spared no effort in carrying out national development. The Dominican Republic capital of Santo Domingo is the only city in the Caribbean to have a mass rapid transit system, he stated. Meanwhile, Santo Domingo and Taipei are sister cities. The president said that during his tenure as Taipei City mayor, the two cities engaged in frequent interaction and exchanges. He added that he is also pleased to see the relations between the two countries to continue to move forward, furthermore expressing his hopes that the cooperative relationship can be further strengthened.
Shortly after this meeting, President Ma met with St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Gonsalves. The president expressed his appreciation to the prime minister and his wife, along with friends from countries around the world, for making the considerable journey to Taiwan to express their congratulations. President Ma noted that this is Prime Minister Gonsalves's ninth visit to Taiwan, which symbolizes the resolute alliance and friendship between the two countries.
President Ma noted that the two nations have maintained diplomatic relations for 31 years and that concrete results have been seen from a variety of cooperation projects. In particular, the ROC has continued to provide scholarships to students in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to keep them in school and help them to learn. To date, over 4,000 students from underprivileged households have received scholarships under this program. The ROC has also assisted in the construction of the Taiwan-St. Vincent and the Grenadines Friendship Bridge, the national library, and learning resource centers throughout the nation. Presently, construction work is being carried out on a new terminal building at Argyle International Airport. All of these projects will have an important impact on national development and the lives of future generations in that nation, he said. Meanwhile, the president commented that the ROC in recent years has placed heavy emphasis on the development of solar power. It is promoting the construction of related hardware and facilities in African and Latin American allies, the president said, adding that St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a country that enjoys abundant sunshine and is a perfect place to apply this technology.
President Ma also expressed his appreciation to St. Vincent and the Grenadines for speaking on behalf of the ROC at many international venues, calling for meaningful participation for Taiwan in international organizations and activities. He also wished the visitors a pleasant stay while in Taiwan.