President Ma Ying-jeou, accompanied by Vice President Wu Den-yih, welcomed Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore and Mrs. Compaore to Taiwan on the morning of October 9 in a ceremony featuring full military honors. President Ma called for continued cooperation to deepen the friendship between the ROC and Burkina Faso.
The ceremony welcoming President and Mrs. Compaore was held at 10:00 a.m. at the National Concert Hall in downtown Taipei.
In remarks, President Ma first extended a cordial welcome to President Compaore on behalf of the government and people of the ROC. President Ma commented that in January of this year he led a delegation from the ROC to Burkina Faso and now his counterpart is leading a delegation on a return visit to Taiwan. This is President Compaore's 10th visit to the ROC, President Ma said, adding that this highlights the deep friendship between the two countries and the solid bilateral alliance.
President Ma also mentioned that Burkina Faso has achieved enormous progress under President Compaore's outstanding leadership and with the efforts of the people of Burkina Faso, making it a model in West Africa. President Compaore, he said, has also strived to maintain peace and stability in the region, and his efforts in this regard have been recognized by the international community, which has helped to raise the international status of Burkina Faso. President Ma expressed hope that the two countries on the existing firm foundation will continue to engage in cooperation and together create a better future.
A short time later, President Ma and President Compaore held discussions at the Office of the President, where President Ma commented that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between the ROC and Burkina Faso. The two countries continue to add depth and breadth to their ties in the areas of politics, economics, and culture, he said, further noting that the range of cooperation is increasingly diverse, including infrastructure, vocational training, agriculture, public health, medical care, and solar power. Achievements have been seen in all of these areas, he remarked.
President Ma further stated that in June of this year Burkina Faso's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation Yipene Djibrill Bassole visited Taiwan and together with ROC Minister of Foreign Affairs David Y. L. Lin (林永樂) convened the 10th meeting of the Mixed Commission of Cooperation between the ROC and Burkina Faso, during which the two sides signed agreements to carry out 20 cooperation projects.
President Ma also praised President Compaore for his longstanding efforts to mediate conflicts and crises in West Africa, which helped to forge the signing of a peace agreement between the provisional government in Mali and Islamic militants in the northern part of the nation. This peace agreement, he remarked, helped to pave the way for a successful presidential election in Mali in July of last year. President Ma stated that as an ally of Burkina Faso, the ROC is extremely moved by these achievements, and proud to be associated with such a nation.
As for the ROC's efforts in recent years to promote regional peace, President Ma stated, during his six years in office he has been promoting regional peace. His first order of business, he said, was to improve relations between Taiwan and mainland China, which has reduced tensions in the Taiwan Strait to their lowest level in 65 years. In addition, the president said, the ROC and Japan have signed a fisheries agreement that has reduced tension in the East China Sea, and our nation has also reached a consensus with the Philippines on the enforcement of laws in overlapping economic waters in the South China Sea. All of these endeavors have effectively reduced tensions and supported peace, he commented. In recognition of these efforts, President Ma remarked, he was awarded the Eisenhower Medallion from US-based People to People International on September 19, which signifies that the commitment to peace by the people of the ROC is recognized in the international arena.
The president further mentioned that Burkina Faso is a staunch supporter of the ROC in the international community and that President Compaore delivered an address at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly last year to express support for participation by the ROC in the International Civil Aviation Organization and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. President Ma stated that on September 29 of this year, Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Bassole also spoke on behalf of the ROC at the UN, supporting expanded participation for the nation in UN organizations and other international bodies. Foreign Minister Bassole also urged other UN members to re-examine the topic of having the ROC return to the UN, he said. President Ma also stated that in May of this year, Burkina Faso Minister of Health Lene Sebgo spoke on behalf of the ROC at the World Health Assembly. The president emphasized that the government and people of the ROC will always remember these gestures.
Commenting on the recent outbreak of the Ebola virus, President Ma noted that the virus has caused the death of thousands of people in West Africa and continues to spread, and that even though the worst of the outbreak is still confined to Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, the world continues to closely monitor the situation. The ROC, said the president, plans to provide 100,000 sets of protective clothing, donate US$1 million, and dispatch a team of medical experts to the affected areas. President Ma stated that preparatory has already begun in nations near Burkina Faso where outbreaks have occurred, and that the ROC is providing financial assistance through its embassy in Burkina Faso for the purchase of necessary gear and equipment to prevent an outbreak in Burkina Faso. He said the ROC will continue to cooperate with Burkina Faso to prevent further spread of the Ebola virus.
President Ma reiterated that in the future the ROC will continue to actively play the roles of peacemaker and provider of humanitarian aid in the international community to promote cooperation and bring peace to the world. He also expressed hope that, on this 20th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries, cooperation will grow stronger, thereby bringing new momentum to bilateral relations.
In addition to President Compaore, other officials in the delegation included Foreign Minister Bassole and Minister of Housing and Urbanization Yacouba Barry.