Taipei, Aug. 27 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Tuesday that he has actively pushed for party diplomacy since assuming the party chairman last month to complement official diplomacy.
The president made the remarks when he welcomed to Taiwan Florencio B. Abad, chairman of the Liberal Party of the Philippines, and Ronald Meinardus, resident representative of the Friedrich-Naumann Foundation in Manila, at the Presidential Office.
Taiwan currently maintains diplomatic relation with 27 countries.
The president told Abad that they share the same background of being a lawyer and lawmaker, and that both had worked for democracy--and were put behind bars for their efforts.
Abad came from Batan, geographically closest to Taiwan in the Philippines, the president said. Residents in Batan also share the same origin as the aborigines on Taiwan's Orchid Island.
The president also expressed his appreciation for the long-term support of the Friedrich-Naumann Foundation, saying that during his visit of Europe in 1999 and his receiving an international freedom award in 2001, he has the support from the foundation.
Saying that his party completed the first political transfer of power in 2000, Chen added that it is now focusing on solidification of the democracy and government restructuring, hoping to build a small but efficient government, and he hopes that the foundation will continue to give support to Taiwan.
Abad, for his part, said his party has always had close exchanges with the DPP, and he feels at home in Taiwan. He expressed the hope that there will be more cooperation and trade and cultural exchanges between the two nations.
Meinardus said that party diplomacy is an important part of democracy, and that the foundation is willing to promote Taiwan's democratic achievements internationally.