President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of June 12 with a delegation led by Burkina Faso Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation Yipene Djibrill Bassole. The president welcomed Minister Bassole to Taiwan and called for continued enhancement in interaction and cooperative relations between the two countries in a wide range of areas.
In remarks, President Ma stated that this marks Minister Bassole's fourth visit to Taiwan in his current capacity. He also explained that Minister Bassole has made impressive contributions to bilateral relations, in recognition of which ROC Minister of Foreign Affairs David Y. L. Lin (林永樂), on behalf of the ROC government, presented the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon to Minister Bassole.
President Ma noted that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between the ROC and Burkina Faso. Over the course of this period, bilateral interaction has become increasingly comprehensive and many achievements have been seen in the areas of political, economic, social, and cultural ties, which have been widely recognized in Burkina Faso, he stated. In addition, the president commented, on this visit Minister Bassole is leading a delegation to attend the 10th meeting of the Mixed Commission on Cooperation between the ROC and Burkina Faso. The meeting, apart from clarifying the contents of bilateral cooperation projects during 2015 and 2016, will also look into the newly added "Education and Literacy Project." This, he said, shows the emphasis that the government of Burkina Faso places on education and the development of human resources.
The president mentioned that Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore, during an address he delivered to mark the 20th anniversary of the National Commitments, noted that the ROC government has made good on its commitments to help the Burkina Faso government fulfill the pledges it has made to its people. President Ma said the ROC has also pledged to continue to support the development goal of developing Burkina Faso into a newly emerging nation.
President Ma remarked that in the six years he has been in office, he has actively promoted a "viable diplomacy" policy. Besides solidifying alliances with allies on the basis of mutual interest and co-prosperity, the ROC at the same time has sought to sign cooperation agreements with non-diplomatic partners to add depth to these substantive relationships.
The president pointed out that Burkina Faso has been a resolute supporter of the ROC in the international community. President Compaore, for example, has spoken at the United Nations General Assembly in support of participation by Taiwan in the International Civil Aviation Organization and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. What's more, he added, at the World Health Assembly held in Geneva last month, Burkina Faso's Health Minister Lene Sebgo also supported expanding Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization. President Ma said that the government and people of the ROC are thankful for these gestures.
The president emphasized that he strongly admires President Compaore for his longstanding efforts to resolve conflicts and crises in West Africa. President Ma noted that his counterpart was instrumental in promoting the signing of a peace agreement between the provisional government in Mali and armed groups in the north. In addition, he stated, at the end of January of this year he led a delegation from the ROC to Burkina Faso on a visit and invited President Compaore to visit Taiwan. President Ma expressed hope that President Compaore will be able to make his 10th visit to Taiwan before the end of this year, and added that he is looking forward to personally receiving his counterpart on another visit here.