President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of August 15 with Tuvalu Foreign Affairs Minister Apisai Ielemia and Mrs. Ielemia. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, extended a cordial welcome to the Ielemias on their visit to Taiwan, and engaged Mr. Ielemia in discussions regarding a variety of cooperation projects between the two countries. President Ma also expressed his desire to see even stronger cooperation between the ROC and Tuvalu in order to further cement the bilateral alliance.
In remarks, the president commented that Mr. Ielemia also concurrently served as prime minister and minister of foreign affairs from 2006 to 2010. He has visited Taiwan many times over the years and maintains a strong friendship with the ROC, the president said. At the same time, Mr. Ielemia has spoken on behalf of Taiwan in many international venues, supporting meaningful participation for Taiwan in the International Civil Aviation Organization, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and other important international organizations. President Ma specially expressed his appreciation for these actions.
The president stated that diplomatic relations between the ROC and Tuvalu date back 33 years to September 1979, and the two countries maintain cooperation projects in a number of areas, including agriculture, vocational training, cultural exchanges, and clean energy. These initiatives have promoted bilateral friendship and made an enormous contribution to fostering the alliance between the two countries, he said. President Ma particularly mentioned that since 2006 the ROC has sent a medical mission to Tuvalu twice annually to provide free clinical services. At the same time, the Chung Shan Medical University Hospital and Tuvalu Hospital have signed a sister hospital agreement, which is helping to expand ties between the two countries in the field of medicine.
With respect to cultural exchanges and vocational training cooperation projects between the two countries, President Ma explained that last month the ROC held the Taiwan Study Camp for Future Leaders from Pacific Allies, and four individuals from Tuvalu were invited to attend the event. In addition, the Chung Shan Medical University Hospital will soon form a delegation to head to Tuvalu to participate in the Youth Ambassadors Exchange Program. President Ma also said that Taiwan this year is holding the 2012 Fishery Observer Training Program and has invited seven students from Tuvalu to come to Taiwan for month-long training. All of these activities, he said, promote cultural ties among youth from the two countries.
President Ma also mentioned the "Light From Taiwan" project, stressing that Taiwan has used solar energy and LED equipment to develop a portable solar powered lamp that can store enough solar power to produce illumination for four to eight hours. Taiwan began donating these lamps to Tuvalu in 2010 and has so far provided a total of 3,790. In addition, this year the ROC is helping Tuvalu to install 30-watt solar-powered street lamps. These projects are aimed at conserving energy and reducing carbon, he said, as well as aiding Tuvalu in becoming a low-carbon nation.
President Ma also specially expressed his appreciation to Tuvalu for the assistance it provided to Taiwan after Typhoon Morakot caused devastating flooding and landslides here. Tuvalu donated US$210,000 to the rescue and relief effort. Equivalent to 1% of that nation's GDP, it was the most generous donation by this measure of any nation that came to the assistance of the ROC. Looking ahead, President Ma said he hopes that cooperation and exchange projects between the two countries will continue to be strengthened, thereby helping to further solidify the bilateral alliance.
Foreign Affairs Minister Ielemia and Mrs. Ielemia and Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Tapugao Falefou were accompanied to the Presidential Office by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tung Kuoyu (董國猷) to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Advisor Francis Yi-Hua Kan (甘逸驊).