President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of November 26 with Belize Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Peter Elrington and Mrs. Elrington. The president welcomed Foreign Minister and Mrs. Elrington to Taiwan and expressed his appreciation upon learning that Belize will grant visa-free courtesies to ROC nationals in the near future.
In remarks, the president first extended a welcome to Foreign Minister Elrington and his wife on their first formal visit to Taiwan. This marks the first time that a foreign minister from Belize has visited Taiwan since Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow took office in 2008, the president said, adding that this makes the visit extremely significant in the alliance between the two countries.
President Ma stated that in May 2009 he and his wife visited Belize and received an enthusiastic reception on their trip there. During that visit, he met with Belize Governor-General Sir Colville Young and Prime Minister Barrow, with the leaders exchanging opinions on a broad range of matters of mutual interest, he said, furthermore commenting that they reached agreement on a number of topics.
President Ma remarked that Foreign Minister Elrington has a distinguished academic background and a wealth of experience. He previously served as a justice on the Supreme Court, and in addition to his current portfolio as minister of foreign affairs, also serves as attorney general, the president stated. He has also been a strong supporter of the ROC and has spoken on behalf of the ROC at the United Nations General Assembly, and the president noted that the foreign minister was planning later in the day to announce that Belize would provide visa-free courtesies to ROC nationals. After similar moves by the United States and Paraguay recently, this makes Belize the 131st jurisdiction to grant visa-free treatment to ROC nationals. The president expressed confidence that this move will further bolster wide-ranging interaction and cooperation between the ROC and Belize.
The president noted that the ROC and Belize have shared a stable alliance since establishing formal diplomatic relations in 1989. The two nations, he said, embrace common core values and a commitment to freedom and democracy. They also engage in close cooperation in a number of fields, particularly in the field of agriculture. Because Belize has expansive plains, the agricultural technology mission from the ROC in Belize has successfully helped local farmers to grow top quality rice. The president said that continued assistance will be provided to develop the rice industry there, which will help turn Belize into one of the main rice exporters in Central America.
President Ma mentioned that since taking office over four years ago, his administration has strived to improve relations with mainland China. Under the framework of the ROC Constitution, we have upheld the principles of "no unification, no independence, and no use of force" and insisted upon "dignity, equality, and reciprocity" in pursuing a policy of "viable diplomacy," he said. This has improved relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and greatly improved the ROC's relations with countries throughout the world, which proves that promoting peace is beneficial to every nation, he said.
The president emphasized that in the future the ROC will continue to strengthen and expand its cooperation with Belize, including the establishment of exchange programs for Belize students to study in Taiwan. The president expressed confidence that this will substantively contribute to long-term friendship between the two countries.
Foreign Minister Elrington praised President Ma's leadership ability and stated that Belize is very willing to support the ROC in the international community. He also said he is pleased that his nation will begin offering visa-free entry to ROC nationals. At the same time, he also expressed his deepest appreciation to the ROC for its longstanding assistance and cooperation with Belize in agriculture and other fields.
Foreign Minister Elrington and Mrs. Elrington were accompanied to the Presidential Office by Belize Charge D'Affaires to the ROC Cherie Minette Nisbet to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting were Secretary-General to the President Timothy Chin-tien Yang (楊進添), National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Philip Y. M. Yang (楊永明), and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Shen-Yeaw Ko (柯森耀).