After concluding their itinerary in Sao Tome and Principe and Burkina Faso, President Ma Ying-jeou and his delegation arrived at 7:40 a.m. on January 26 (9:40 p.m. Taipei time) at Palmerola Airport in Comayagua City in the Republic of Honduras, where President Ma was to attend the inauguration of Honduran President-elect Juan Orlando Hernandez.
ROC Ambassador to Honduras Joseph Y. L. Kuo (郭永樑) and Honduran Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chief of Protocol Ricardo Fores boarded the plane and Honduras President Porfirio Lobo Sosa was waiting beside the stairs to the plane to welcome President Ma. The leaders of the two nations walked along a red carpet and were saluted by the color guard. They then retreated to a VIP room for brief talks.
During the discussions President Ma noted that this was his third visit to Honduras, and that he had visited the country four years before to attend the inauguration of President Lobo. President Ma mentioned that President Lobo had also led a delegation to Taiwan last year for the ROC's Double Tenth national day, adding that he had again come to Honduras to attend the inauguration of Honduran President-elect Hernandez. President Lobo's gesture to personally meet him at the airport demonstrates the close bond between the two, he said.
President Ma stated that Honduras was facing challenges in the international arena four years ago when President Lobo was inaugurated, but has seen rapid development and gradually won support and recognition in the international community over the past several years thanks to the efforts of President Lobo and the people of Honduras.
President Ma also thanked President Lobo for his efforts over the past four years to advance friendly bilateral ties, and called for continued stability in the alliance between the ROC and Honduras, as well as a lasting friendship.
After the completion of their discussions, President Ma and his delegation went to their hotel for a brief rest, after which they went to Valle de Angeles to see the results of the bilateral "One Town, One Product" Project.
In the afternoon, President Ma met and held discussions with President-elect Hernandez. In addition to extending his congratulations and best wishes, President Ma also invited President-elect Hernandez to visit Taiwan as soon as possible. President-elect Hernandez expressed hope that bilateral cooperation could be strengthened in a variety of areas including economic relations, crime prevention, and the prevention of drug smuggling.
In the evening, President Ma attended a banquet at his hotel for the overseas compatriot community. In remarks, he stated that the ROC and Honduras have maintained diplomatic relations for over 72 years and that the relationship would continue to move forward. The president also commented that the representatives attending the dinner had all distinguished themselves in their respective professions while maintaining close contact with the ROC. They had made an outstanding contribution to promoting unity among overseas compatriots and friendly relations between the ROC and Honduras, he said.
Noting that the Lunar New Year was just around the corner, President Ma wished the overseas compatriots a successful and prosperous year ahead. The president also expressed hope for prosperity for both the ROC and Honduras, and a lasting alliance between the two.