During a meeting on the morning of January 22 with a delegation led by Paraguay Chamber of Deputies President Victor Alcides Bogado Gonzalez, President Ma Ying-jeou extended a cordial welcome and expressed his deepest appreciation to the group.
In remarks, the president stated that Chamber of Deputies President Bogado is a promising young political figure in Paraguay who is highly thought of in the political arena there. President Ma noted that Chamber President Bogado was first elected to the chamber in 2003 and since then has been elected five times to be the leader of that body. This marks his fifth visit to Taiwan in his capacity as chamber president, which President Ma said points to the strong affinity that Mr. Bogado has for the ROC.
President Ma stated that the Republic of Paraguay is the ROC's sole diplomatic ally in South America, and that it has the largest land area among all of the ROC's allies. Paraguay also happens to be the most distant ally from Taiwan geographically, he added, and the two nations have maintained diplomatic ties for 57 years. Noting that Paraguay will be holding elections on April 21 to elect a president, vice president, and members of the Chamber of Deputies, President Ma said that Chamber President Bogado's decision to take time out of his busy schedule at this juncture during the campaign cycle in Paraguay demonstrates the importance he places on the ROC and his support for Taiwan, and also highlights the deep friendship between the two countries. President Ma expressed hope that the two sides will further strengthen their cooperative relationship.
The president also thanked the Chamber of Deputies' Committee on Foreign Affairs for proposing a declaration in April of last year supporting the ROC's participation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the International Civil Aviation Organization. This proposal was unanimously passed by the 55 deputies present that day, he said. Furthermore, Chamber President Bogado immediately signed the declaration and expressed to Paraguay's executive branch the chamber's support for the ROC, the president remarked.
President Ma mentioned that less than three months after taking office in 2008 he arranged a trip to Paraguay, which points to the importance that the ROC places on the development of bilateral relations. He noted that presently over 100 students from Paraguay study in Taiwan. Some of these students obtained scholarships to come here to pursue advanced studies, while others are here to learn Chinese. The president stated that bilateral cooperation and interaction projects could be expanded and enhanced in this area.
The president also recognized the longstanding support that Paraguay has expressed for the ROC's participation in international activities. He expressed hope that Chamber President Bogado will gain even more insight to the ROC on this visit and will continue to speak on behalf of the ROC in the international community.
The six-member delegation, led by Chamber President Bogado, included deputies Atilio Penayo Ortega, Luis Carlos Neuman Irala, and Mirta Ramona Mendoza. The group was escorted to the Presidential Office by Paraguay Chargé D'Affaires to the ROC Carlos Jose Fleitas Rodriguez and 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).