President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of September 6 with Polish Senator Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz, chairman of the Senate's Foreign Affairs Committee. During the meeting, the president expressed his hopes that Poland and other European nations will continue to strengthen cooperation with Taiwan in the areas of economy, culture, technology, and environmental protection, thereby enhancing bilateral ties.
In remarks, President Ma noted that Chairman Cimoszewicz has served as prime minister, deputy prime minister and concurrently minister of justice, minister of foreign affairs, and marshal of the Sejm, the lower chamber of Poland's parliament. His experience spans the administrative and legislative arenas, and he was also instrumental in the negotiations that paved the way for Poland's 2004 entry into the European Union (EU), highlighting his expertise in diplomacy, the president said.
President Ma also stated that due to the geographical distance between Taiwan and Poland, contacts between the two have been infrequent in the past. However, increasing interaction between Taiwan and the EU is being seen, said the president, who pointed out that since January 11, 2011 when the EU granted ROC nationals visa-free entry, the number of travelers from Taiwan to the EU has increased by 40%. The increasing contact is conducive to closer ties between the two sides.
The president stated that since taking office, he has sought to improve relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and this has significantly reduced tension. Over the past four years, he said, Taiwan and mainland China have reached two points of consensus, signed 18 agreements, and inked many memoranda of understanding. This highlights the pragmatic attitude in interaction between the two sides, which has not only helped to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait, but also has forged a greater level of stability in Northeast Asia. Under this framework, ample space exists for progress in relations between Taiwan and Europe, President Ma added.
President Ma remarked that Europe is one of the world's most important regions. In particular, since Eastern European nations have moved down the road of liberalization, the region has demonstrated a greater level of productivity and creativity. Consequently, the president said, he hopes that interaction will continue to strengthen between Taiwan and Poland, as well as with other European nations, thereby generating increased opportunities for cooperation.
Chairman Cimoszewicz was accompanied by Warsaw Trade Office in Taipei Chief Representative Marek Wejtko to the Presidential Office to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting were National Security Council Advisor Francis Yi-Hua Kan (甘逸驊) and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Shen-Yeaw Ko (柯森耀).