On the afternoon of April 13, President Ma Ying-jeou met with Nauru Ambassador to the ROC Ludwig Dowong Keke and Mrs. Keke. The president thanked the Republic of Nauru for its longstanding support for Taiwan's quest to participate in international organizations, and briefed his visitors on the state of cooperation and exchanges jointly promoted by Taiwan and Nauru.
In remarks, the president stated that since being posted to the ROC in 2007, Ambassador Keke has spared no effort to promote bilateral ties and cooperation. On April 8 of this year, the president conferred the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon upon the ambassador in recognition of his outstanding contributions to bilateral relations.
Regarding joint projects conducted by the ROC and Nauru, the president mentioned that during a visit to Nauru six years ago he proposed the "360 Project" to help Nauru produce six types of agricultural products (including vegetables, eggs, and fruit) over a three-year period to foster self-sufficiency in these items and reduce imports of these products to zero. It was a very gratifying undertaking to be involved in, he said.
In the area of clean energy, President Ma stated that the ROC started carrying out the Light from Taiwan project in Nauru in 2010, and to date has provided 3,200 miniature solar-powered lamps. In May of 2014, solar-powered lighting projects were completed at eight elementary schools in Nauru, improving the learning environment for students while simultaneously helping the environment and saving energy. In addition, the ROC has donated a grid-connected photovoltaic power system to Nauru to help the nation reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, achieve its goal of a 50% reduction in diesel consumption by the year 2020, and become a low-carbon island as soon as possible.
In terms of medical cooperation, the president stated that Taichung Veterans General Hospital has signed a memorandum on the "Taiwan Medical Program to Nauru" with that nation's Ministry of Health. The ROC has had medical specialists stationed continually in Nauru since the program formally got underway in September of 2012. Those 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 stints, he said, and their services have been well-received. In addition, the two sides have since signed an agreement on the transfer of patients, and the ROC plans to donate 40 hospital beds in 2016 to boost Nauru's medical facilities and resources and enhance the quality of medical care.
With respect to training programs, President Ma mentioned that the ROC is currently cooperating with the United States in providing vocational education for youth from Pacific island nations, and so far eight young people from Nauru have come to Taiwan for training in such fields as: refrigeration, air conditioning, and energy technologies; computer, multimedia, and network applications; plumbing and electrical maintenance; auto repair; carpentry; and electrical machinery. Thirty-one students from Nauru have also studied in Taiwan since 2006 under the Taiwan Scholarship program, including President Baron Divavesi Waqa's daughter. When President Waqa visited Taiwan last December, he said that his daughter was adapting very well to life in Taiwan and really likes the educational environment here, which is very gratifying, said President Ma.
As for ties between the private sectors of the two nations, President Ma noted that groups and individuals from Taiwan have put on successful puppet theater, kite, and magic performances in Nauru, while in August of 2015 a group of physically and mentally challenged students from Nauru visited Taiwan and conducted in-depth discussions with the Eden Social Welfare Foundation. Together, the two nations are working to promote social services for physically and mentally disabled persons in both countries.
President Ma also thanked Nauru for its longstanding support for the ROC's participation in international organizations and activities. In September of 2015, President Waqa spoke out in support of Taiwan during the Sustainable Development Summit at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly. In November of that same year at the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris, President Waqa publicly supported Taiwan's participation in the UNFCCC. The government and people of the ROC are very thankful for all of these gestures. Looking to the future, President Ma hopes the two sides can continue to deepen their ties and together create a shared prosperity.