President Ma Ying-jeou received the credentials from the Republic of Kiribati's new ambassador to the ROC Teekoa Iuta in a ceremony held at 10:10 a.m. on June 13 at the Presidential Office Building. In addition to extending a cordial welcome to Ambassador Iuta to the ROC, President Ma also called for a continued stable relationship and for further enhancement of bilateral cooperation.
In remarks, the president stated that Ambassador Iuta made considerable contributions in her previous post as Secretary to the Cabinet in Kiribati, and is highly trusted by Kiribati President Anote Tong and the ruling and opposition parties in that nation. President Ma commented that Ambassador Iuta's appointment as ambassador to the ROC has been supported by all parties in Kiribati.
The president remarked that President Tong completed a visit to Taiwan on June 4 and during his stay here the two exchanged opinions on issues of importance to both sides. President Ma said he came to further understand the marine and energy policies of Kiribati. In response, the ROC agreed to help Kiribati install oil storage tanks to boost its petroleum security reserve and achieve energy independence.
President Ma noted that while here President Tong expressed support for the ROC's stance on the Guang Da Xing No. 28 shooting incident, in which an unarmed Taiwanese fishing boat came under fire from a Philippine government vessel. President Tong also offered condolences to the family of the Taiwanese fisherman killed in the incident. President Ma reiterated his appreciation to Kiribati for that gesture.
The president stated that the ROC has a project to help friendly and allied nations cultivate medical talent. Taiwan's I-Shou University has launched a four-year M.D. program at its School of Medicine for international students from diplomatic allies of Taiwan. The ROC welcomes Kiribati to send students to Taiwan to take part in this curriculum, which he said would help Kiribati nurture medical talent and enhance its health and medical care.
President Ma also mentioned that in recent years the ROC and the United States have jointly carried out the Pacific Islands Leadership Program, helping six allied Pacific island nations to train leadership talent. The ROC welcomes Kiribati to dispatch outstanding talent to Taiwan to receive training under this initiative, he said.
The president stressed that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the ROC and Kiribati, while President Tong's most recent trip marked the 10th visit to Taiwan, which symbolizes the "perfect 10" alliance between the two sides. At the same time, the president said, further room exists for cooperation between the two countries in the areas of solar power generation, vocational training, medical services, and fishing. The president expressed hope that bilateral ties can be further enhanced based on the existing foundation.
The ceremony, which was held at the Presidential Office in the morning, was attended by a number of officials, including Secretary-General to the President Timothy Chin-Tien Yang (楊進添) and Minister of Foreign Affairs David Y. L. Lin (林永樂).