President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of September 1 with a delegation led by Republic of Nauru Parliament Speaker Ludwig Scotty and Mrs. Scotty. In addition to extending a cordial welcome to the group, the president also expressed hope to see even greater depth in interaction and cooperation between the two nations.
In remarks, President Ma said that Speaker Scotty is a resolute friend of the ROC, having played a crucial role in restoring formal diplomatic relations between the two countries in May 2005 when he served as Nauru's prime minister. Speaker Scotty has visited the ROC many times and has deep ties with the ROC. This visit reconfirms the importance he places on bilateral relations.
President Ma recalled that he experienced the hospitality of the people and the lovely weather of Nauru when he visited in 2010, adding that he has deep and fond memories.
The president also expressed gratitude for Nauru's efforts in helping the ROC participate in international activities, as well as speaking on behalf of the ROC in international venues. The president said that during the Post Forum Dialogue of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) held in August 2014 and at the 69th General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly in September of that year, Nauru President Baron Waqa spoke up on behalf of the ROC. Last year, Minister for Transport Valdon Dowiyogo also sent a letter to the secretary general of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to support meaningful participation for Taiwan in ICAO-related conferences, while Minister for Commerce, Industry & Environment Aaron Cook urged support for observer status for Taiwan, under the name of the Executive Yuan's Environmental Protection Administration, in the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In addition, Minister Cook in December of last year sent a letter to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Director-General Adnan Z. Amin, calling for his help in assisting Taiwan to attend the 5th general assembly of IRENA as an observer. All of these gestures show Nauru's strong support for Taiwan's participation in the international community, the president said.
Discussing bilateral cooperation projects, the president stated that in August of 2010 the ROC began promoting its Light from Taiwan project in Nauru. Over the past five years, the ROC has provided Nauru with 3,200 mini solar-powered lamps, and at the end of May last year completed a project in which solar-power equipment was installed at eight elementary schools there. It is hoped that this will make it easier for students to learn, while at the same time helping to protect the children's eyesight.
President Ma then explained that in November of 2010 the ROC provided 155 solar-powered streetlamps to Nauru, which have helped improve road safety. After several years of use, some of the streetlamps had become corroded by sea salt and had aged, so in 2012 the two countries began cooperating to install energy-saving light bulbs and lamps throughout the entire island. Nauru's state-run Eigigu Holdings Corporation was responsible for related work, which was completed in October of last year. The president also commented that over the past four years, the ROC has donated grid-connected photovoltaic power systems that were installed at Nauru's government office building and Public Health Center, respectively. All of these cooperative initiatives are helping Nauru become a low-carbon island, the president said.
In terms of medical cooperation, the president said that Taichung Veterans General Hospital signed a memorandum on the "Taiwan Medical Program to Nauru" with that nation's Ministry of Health in September 2012, and the ROC continues to send physicians to serve in Nauru. Medical specialists dispatched to Nauru during the start-up phase only went for short-term stays, but the ROC has gradually expanded the program to include long-term service. The two countries last year also formally signed a cooperative agreement on transferring patients in urgent need to Taiwan for care. Meanwhile, President Ma also noted that the ROC will at the end of this year donate 40 hospital beds to Nauru to upgrade hospital hardware and enhance the standard of medical services.
With respect to training programs, the president pointed out that since the end of 2008, a total of 31 students from Nauru have come to Taiwan to pursue advanced studies. In addition, last year I-Shou University in Kaohsiung established its School of Medicine for International Students, with 70 slots provided to date to students from diplomatic allies to receive medical education there. The president also invited Speaker Scotty to encourage outstanding students from Nauru to apply to the school, which he said would add greater depth to cooperation between the two countries in the field of medicine.