President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of November 9 with Claudius James Francis, President of the Senate of St. Lucia, and Peter I. Foster, Speaker of that nation's House of Assembly. President Ma, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC, expressed a cordial welcome to the two, and stated his hopes that their trip to Taiwan would enhance the cooperative relationship between the two countries.
In remarks, the president stated that Senate President Francis and House Speaker Foster are close friends, having been classmates throughout high school, university, and even when going abroad for advanced studies. In January of this year, they were both elected as the leaders of their respective branches of government, he said, expressing delight that the two have been able to come to Taiwan together on this trip.
The president commented that he has strived to improve cross-strait relations since taking office. He explained that he has sought peaceful relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, calling for adherence to the principle of "no unification, no independence, and no use of force" under the framework of the ROC Constitution, while promoting cross-strait interaction and cooperation within the parameters of the "1992 Consensus," whereby each side acknowledges the existence of "one China" but maintains its own interpretation of what that means. This has significantly improved the relationship between Taiwan and mainland China, and also has effectively reduced tensions between the two sides, he stated.
The president told the visitors that earlier in the day, at an academic conference to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the "1992 Consensus," he had remarked that 20 years ago the two sides of the Taiwan Strait reached an unprecedented consensus whereby the two sides embraced the principle of "one China" while maintaining their own interpretations of what that means. Only after this foundation had been laid, he added, were the two sides able to reach a number of cooperative agreements, creating an atmosphere of co-existence and co-prosperity. Furthermore, the president said, at the same time that cross-strait relations have improved, Taiwan has brought this atmosphere of reconciliation into the international community. The two sides no longer engage in confrontation or waste resources trying to lure away each other's diplomatic allies, he said. Consequently, the ROC and its diplomatic partners will continue to engage in an array of cooperation projects that help to cement the alliances, he stated.
President Ma stated that St. Lucia and Taiwan are similar in that both are islands lacking in natural resources. At the same time, both sides embrace the core values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. In the five-plus years since the two sides resumed diplomatic relations, considerable advancement has been seen in cooperation in the areas of agriculture, community development, medicine, information, and technology. In addition, 75 students from St. Lucia are studying in Taiwan on scholarships. The president expressed his hopes that these students will contribute to their nation's development after completing their academic pursuits here and returning home.
The president also mentioned that both Taiwan and St. Lucia are producers of bananas and that both sides are presently cooperating on research related to the prevention of black Sigatoka disease in bananas. In the future, this work should help banana farmers resolve the problems caused by this disease, he said.
Senate President Francis and House Speaker Foster were accompanied to the Presidential Office by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Shen-Yeaw Ko (柯森耀) to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting were Secretary-General to the President Timothy Chin-tien Yang (楊進添) and National Security Council Advisor Francis Yi-Hua Kan (甘逸驊).