The new Ambassador from the Republic of Honduras to the ROC Mario Alberto Fortin Midence presented his credentials to President Ma Ying-jeou at a ceremony that took place at the Presidential Office at 9:00 a.m. on August 28. Besides cordially welcoming Ambassador Fortin to Taiwan to assume his new post, the president expressed his hopes for a continued stable alliance between the two countries and for a further expansion of bilateral cooperation.
In remarks, the president stated that Honduras and the ROC have enjoyed a longstanding close friendship. Bilateral cooperation covers the areas of agricultural technology, vocational training, and information education, he said, adding that considerable achievements have been seen in cooperation projects. In addition, the president stated that two years ago he personally led a congratulatory delegation from the ROC to attend the inauguration of Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Sosa . The two heads of state held several rounds of discussions over the course of that visit, and both leaders exchanged opinions on issues of mutual interest, including information education and assistance in providing computer equipment, he said. Related cooperation projects have advanced quite smoothly, the president said.
President Ma also stated that Ambassador Fortin's two children both previously obtained scholarships from the ROC to study in Taiwan, and both earned master's degrees here, he said. This is a sign that Ambassador Fortin’s family and the ROC were fated to be together, and also demonstrates that cooperation in the area of education has proceeded smoothly, he added. In the future, the ROC government will continue to strengthen bilateral educational interaction and cooperation, attracting an even greater number of outstanding students from Honduras to study in Taiwan, the president said.
The president commented that Ambassador Fortin has visited Taiwan many times and has a good understanding of the state of the ROC and its situation in the international community. The government, he said, will make every effort to assist Ambassador Fortin in promoting his agenda in order to further strengthen friendship and interaction between the two countries and to expand the bilateral cooperative relationship.
Among those on hand to witness the ceremony at the Presidential Office were Secretary-General to the President Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Chin-tien Yang (楊進添) .