On the morning of October 8, President Ma Ying-jeou welcomed Republic of Paraguay President Horacio Cartes to the ROC in a ceremony featuring full military honors. President Ma called for continued strengthening of bilateral cooperation and a lasting alliance between the two nations.
The welcoming ceremony was held at 10:00 a.m. at Liberty Square in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in downtown Taipei.
In remarks, President Ma first extended a cordial welcome on behalf of the government and people of the ROC to President Cartes on his visit to Taiwan. President Ma commented that President Cartes entered politics in 2009 and on April 21 of last year was elected president, representing the Colorado Party (Asociacion Nacional Republicana, ANR). President Cartes has shown himself to have outstanding leadership abilities and considerable political charisma.
President Ma mentioned that he led a delegation from the ROC to Paraguay in August of last year to attend the inauguration ceremonies for President Cartes and Vice President Juan Afara. He noted that the presidents of Chile, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay attended the festivities, along with the crown prince of Spain and important government leaders from many other nations, who extended their congratulations. President Ma said the event was something he would never forget.
President Ma expressed confidence that Paraguay will continue to progress and become more prosperous under the leadership of President Cartes, while the Paraguayan people will enjoy even greater wellbeing. President Ma also expressed hope that the delegation members from Paraguay will gain a deeper understanding of the ROC's political and economic development during their visit, and at the same time also get a feel for the friendliness and warmth of the people of Taiwan.
President Ma stated that President Cartes was originally an internationally renowned businessman whose companies in Paraguay were included by Great Place to Work on its list of the Best Workplaces in Paraguay.
President Ma furthermore stated that in addition to his talents in the business arena, President Cartes has also displayed outstanding abilities in diplomacy. For instance, Paraguay once again successfully hosted the 44th General Assembly of the Organization of American States in June of this year, and was recently admitted as an observer to the Pacific Alliance (Alianza del Pacifico), which is comprised of Colombia, Chile, Peru, and Mexico, President Ma commented. This, he said, demonstrates Paraguay's intentions to create closer ties with Pacific nations.
Commenting on cooperation between the ROC and Paraguay, President Ma noted that the two countries are building affordable housing as part of the National Program of Poverty Reduction, which was launched by President Cartes. President Ma noted that under this initiative, a total of 4,500 households will be established as part of 39 communities throughout 16 provinces in Paraguay, and all of the communities will have running tap water and power supply systems. Furthermore, schools will be built, along with community centers, health clinics, and green areas, the president added, pointing out that households headed by women will receive top priority when housing units in these communities are allotted. He said that the Paraguayan Congress has already reviewed and passed this project, and President Cartes has already issued the administrative order for it to be carried out by the Ministry of Housing and Habitat. President Ma expressed confidence that the creation of these communities will provide the people of Paraguay with a better living environment and boost the status of women.
With respect to Taiwanese businesses in Paraguay, President Ma called on the Paraguayan government to let such firms benefit from investment incentives set out in domestic legislation, and to provide Taiwanese companies with information and legal protections that would help them access and compete in Paraguay's markets.
President Ma then noted that President Cartes had thanked the ROC during the welcoming ceremonies for its longstanding assistance to Paraguay. President Ma responded by saying that the ROC received foreign aid for a long time in the 1950s and is thus deeply aware of the difficulties faced by countries lacking in natural resources. He stated that once the ROC had the ability to provide foreign aid, it was extremely pleased to share its experiences with other countries, viewing this as one way to pay back to the international community.
President Ma emphasized that the ROC has been unable to take part in United Nations activities since losing its UN seat in 1971, but it still works to participate in UN-affiliated organizations such as the World Health Assembly and the Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization. At the same time, he said, the ROC government has incorporated important UN covenants on human rights and women's and children's rights into domestic law. "Even though it is impossible for us to exercise our rights (in the UN), we will still do what we can to fulfil our obligations to the international community," the president remarked.
President Ma then noted that President Cartes, during an address at the General Debate of the UN General Assembly in September last year, spoke on behalf of the ROC in a substantive manner. Furthermore, Paraguay's Permanent Representative to the UN Jose Antonio Dos Santos on September 30 of this year stated in a speech that Paraguay has taken note of and welcomes the participation and contributions by the Republic of China (Taiwan) at specialized agencies of the United Nations, which is thanks to an improvement in relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. President Ma expressed his deepest gratitude for these gestures.
The delegation, which was led by President Cartes, included Paraguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs Eladio Loizaga, General Secretary of the Presidency Juan Carlos Lopez Moreira, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Jorge Raul Gattini, Minister of Public Health and Social Welfare Antonio Barrios, and Minister of Industry and Commerce Gustavo Leite.