During a meeting on the morning of December 11 with a congressional delegation from the Republic of Guatemala, President Ma Ying-jeou called for deeper bilateral relations and a lasting alliance between the two countries.
In remarks, President Ma stated that Congressional President Aristides Crespo Villegas, who has won election to the legislative body seven times since 1991, also visited Taiwan in 1998 and 2007, and previously served as congressional president in 2008-2009 before returning to the post this past January. This marks the first time, remarked President Ma, that he is visiting the ROC in his capacity as congressional president.
President Ma commented that Congressional President Crespo is a distinguished educator who won a public scholarship at age 18 to study at a teachers college, and worked in education for 16 years in the Guatemalan department of Escuintla. Over that period he organized many arts and cultural activities, which demonstrated his unique leadership abilities, President Ma added, noting that as a result he was awarded as an outstanding teacher. In addition, Mr. Crespo has continued to exercise the spirit of an educator as the leader of the parliament, where he has pushed for passage of many bills to support education and culture.
President Ma pointed out that he first visited Guatemala in 2000 when he served as the mayor of Taipei City, and on that trip he was impressed by the warmth and hospitality of the Guatemalan people, as well as the magnificence of the Mayan ruins in that nation. The president stated that he again visited Guatemala as president of the ROC in 2009, which coincided with the 24th anniversary of the implementation of that nation's constitution. The president also noted that he was invited to deliver an address before the Congress. In addition, he mentioned, former Congressional President Gudy Rivera Estrada during a visit to the ROC in 2012 bestowed on him the Order of Grand Collar of the Sovereign National Congress (Orden Nacional del Soberano Congreso Nacional en el grado de Gran Collar), which the president recalled was a great honor for him.
As for Taiwan-Guatemala relations, President Ma said, the bilateral alliance has always been very friendly. The ROC in 1935 established a general consulate in Guatemala and the two nations have maintained diplomatic relations for 80 years. The president remarked that for many years the ROC has employed a comprehensive foreign assistance mechanism, and has focused on the most urgent needs of Guatemala in cooperative projects in the areas of health, education, and infrastructure. These programs have brought nationwide benefits, he said. Pointing to cooperation in the area of health care as an example, President Ma noted that since 2012 the ROC has cooperated with the Ministry of Public Works of the First Lady (La Secretaría de Obras Sociales de la Esposa del Presidente, SOSEP) by dispatching mobile medical clinics on 100 occasions to work in underserved areas, and by donating ambulances, wheel chairs, and other such medical equipment.
President Ma further mentioned that Guatemala was ravaged by a strong storm in 2005, an earthquake in 2012, and severe drought this year, causing localized food shortages. He explained that the ROC government arranged assistance immediately, showing itself to be a "provider of humanitarian aid." The president said that the ROC will continue to assist the Guatemalan government under the principle of "seeking proper goals, acting lawfully, and exercising effective administration" and realizing cooperation projects that aim to enhance the wellbeing of the public.
President Ma also thanked Guatemala for its resolute support over the years for the ROC's participation in the World Health Organization and other international organizations. He remarked that both countries share the universal core values of freedom, democracy, human rights and peace. The Guatemalan Congress has repeatedly passed resolutions or declarations supporting participation for Taiwan in the International Civil Aviation Organization, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and other UN bodies, he said. Looking ahead, the president called for continued interaction, and expressed hope that the alliance will become even stronger.
Also in the delegation were Congressmen Juan Jose Porras Castillo and Mrs. Porras, Carlos Rafael Fion Morales and Mrs. Fion, and Carlos Enrique Lopez Giron and Mrs. Lopez.