President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of October 13 with Panama's First Lady Lorena Isabel Castillo de Varela. In addition to welcoming her to Taiwan, the president called for continued strengthening of cooperation between the two countries.
In remarks, President Ma stated that Mrs. Varela was representing her husband, President Juan Carlos Varela, in leading a delegation to the ROC in celebration of the ROC's Double Tenth National Day. President Ma stated that he and Mrs. Varela had already met several times before in both Panama and Taiwan. He pointed out that in July of this year he led a delegation to Panama to attend President Varela's inauguration ceremonies, adding that the many skyscrapers in Panama City, the beautiful bay next to the city, and the high economic growth rate of 8.5% made a deep impression on him.
Describing President Varela as an imposing figure who showed tremendous class as his nation's vice president and minister of foreign affairs, President Ma went on to say that Mrs. Varela is a well-known former news anchor and program host in Panama who was singled out for a national news award. With her unique elegance and charm, said the president, Mrs. Varela was no doubt an important reason why her husband was able to win the presidency. In addition, President Ma noted, Mrs. Varela was actively involved during her years as a news anchor in public service and charitable activities, and since becoming first lady she has shown even more concern for the underprivileged and compassion for the people of her nation.
The president mentioned that during this trip to Taiwan Mrs. Varela would be accompanied by ROC First Lady Chow Mei-ching (周美青) to visit social welfare, religious, and educational organizations. He expressed confidence that discussions between the two first ladies regarding social welfare and charitable work will certainly benefit the bilateral friendship.
As for relations between the ROC and Panama, the president stated, the two countries have maintained diplomatic ties for over a century, and the alliance is very strong despite the geographical distance between the two countries. President Ma mentioned that he once visited Panama as Taipei City mayor and has visited three times since taking office as president in 2008. He has been delighted to see the rapid growth in Panama over the past decade and more, the president said. In addition, considerable success has been seen in cooperation projects in the areas of agriculture, vocational training, and health care, he remarked, adding that this further demonstrates the solid alliance between the two nations.
President Ma emphasized that since taking office he has actively pursued a policy of "viable diplomacy," and that the ROC hopes to play the role of a peacemaker and a provider of humanitarian aid in the international community. The ROC's diplomatic work in Central America and the Caribbean is an important focus of the government's attention, so we place great importance on our alliance with Panama, he said. President Ma added that Panama frequently speaks on behalf of the ROC in international venues, and he hopes that this visit by Mrs. Varela will promote closer political and economic ties while further enhancing social and cultural interaction.