After completing a two-day visit to Panama, President Ma Ying-jeou at 8:50 a.m. on July 2 local time (9:50 p.m. July 2 Taipei time) arrived at Panama's Panama Pacific International Airport to depart on the next leg of his trip. Panama's new Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Luis Miguel Hincapie and Chief of Protocol Roberto Zuniga, along with overseas compatriots and student representatives, were at the airport to wish the president off on a safe journey. President Ma then boarded his chartered aircraft that took him and his delegation to El Salvador.
After a flight lasting about two hours, the president and his delegation arrived at El Salvador International Airport at 10:10 a.m. local time (12:10 a.m. on July 3 Taipei time).
After President Ma's aircraft came to a halt on the tarmac, the ROC Ambassador to El Salvador Lee Sing-ying (李新穎) and El Salvador's Chief of Protocol Cesar Arevalo boarded the plane to welcome him. El Salvador's Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugo Roger Martinez Bonilla was waiting next to the stairs to the plane to welcome the president and escort him down a red carpet for a salute by the color guard. The El Salvador military band played the national anthems of both countries, after which San Salvador Mayor Norman Quijano Gonzalez presented a key to the city to President Ma to welcome the delegation to El Salvador.
In remarks delivered moments later, President Ma said he was extremely honored to have been invited by Salvadoran President Salvador Sanchez Ceren to lead a delegation to the Central American nation. The president commented that in 2009 he had led a delegation from the ROC to attend the inauguration ceremonies for then-President Mauricio Funes. President Ma said that the beautiful scenery of El Salvador and the diligent and kindhearted people of that nation made a deep impression on him, so he felt even more at home on his return visit.
President Ma mentioned that the ROC and El Salvador have maintained diplomatic relations for 81 years, and that the two nations have cooperation projects in the areas of agricultural technology, vocational training, and health and medicine. The president stated that just two days earlier, while attending the swearing-in of Panama's new President Juan Carlos Varela, he had discussions with President Sanchez on a variety of issues of mutual concern. This trip to El Salvador, he said, was sure to offer more time and greater opportunities to explore with President Sanchez various methods to bolster bilateral relations.
After the welcoming ceremonies at the airport, President Ma headed to the Presidential Palace to hold discussions with President Sanchez. Upon his arrival, President Sanchez was waiting at the steps to the Presidential Palace to welcome President Ma. The anthems of the two nations were played, after which local children presented traditional gifts to President Ma in an expression of the importance that El Salvador placed on the visit by the ROC delegation.
Upon completing the remarks, the two leaders discussed bilateral cooperation projects and exchanged opinions on economic and trade ties, investment, energy, and tourism development. They then signed a joint communiqué and exchanged decorations.
After the signing of the joint communiqué, President Ma remarked that he and his delegation had received a high level of courtesy and a warm reception from the government and people of El Salvador. The president said he was deeply touched by the reception and the trip was extremely pleasurable.
President Ma stated he was pleased to sign a joint communiqué with President Sanchez that will strengthen bilateral ties, and was deeply honored to receive the Order of Doctor Jose Matias Delgado (Grand Cross with Gold Star), which highlights the deep bonds of friendship between the governments and peoples of the two countries.
The president emphasized that the ROC and El Salvador have maintained a longstanding friendship, and have engaged in extremely close cooperation and interaction. President Ma said President Sanchez is a distinguished and deeply insightful political leader who is hardworking, caring, and warmly supported by his people. President Ma expressed confidence that under President Sanchez's leadership, El Salvador would make substantial progress and become increasingly prosperous.
The president also mentioned that earlier that day he had presented the Order of Brilliant Jade with Grand Cordon, one of the ROC's highest honors, on President Sanchez on behalf of the government and people of the ROC in recognition of his counterpart's outstanding contributions to the alliance between El Salvador and the ROC. President Ma expressed confidence that the joint efforts of the two countries would make the bilateral friendship even stronger.
After the signing ceremony for the joint communiqué, President Ma was invited by President Sanchez to a luncheon, where President Ma stated that this trip marked his second visit to El Salvador, five years after his first visit, and that it was clear El Salvador had made great strides in the interim on a variety of fronts. President Ma also said that President Sanchez, who had been in office for over a month, had shared his visions and plans for El Salvador in a discussion between the two leaders earlier that day, during which his counterpart expressed hope that the two countries would continue to cooperate in a variety of areas, especially in the fields of trade, energy, and tourism, so as to further enhance the wellbeing of the peoples of both countries.