Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

On the morning of July 27, President Tsai Ing-wen accepted the credentials of the new Republic of Nauru Ambassador to the ROC Chitra Jeremiah in a ceremony at the Presidential Office. The president warmly welcomed Ambassador Jeremiah to her new post in Taiwan and called for enhanced cooperation and diplomatic ties between the two countries.

In remarks, President Tsai noted that Ambassador Jeremiah had come to Taiwan once before as a member of a delegation led by Nauru President Baron Waqa and Mrs. Waqa, attending her inauguration ceremony and meeting again with her the following day. President Tsai said she was very happy to see Ambassador Jeremiah in Taiwan, this time in her capacity as the new ambassador from Nauru, and expressed confidence that the ambassador will be able to build upon the already strong bilateral relationship to further enhance cooperation and diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Nauru.

The president pointed out that the most important principle of foreign policy under Taiwan's new administration is "steadfast diplomacy based on building mutually beneficial relationships," and said that is precisely the spirit of cooperation between Taiwan and Nauru. The Taiwan Technical Mission in the Republic of Nauru, for example, is running several bilateral cooperation projects including a Horticulture Project and an Egg Production Project to provide vegetables and eggs to improve the nutritional value of student meals. In addition, Taiwan continues to tap into its deep pool of healthcare resources to provide Nauru with related assistance. Taichung Veterans General Hospital and Nauru's Ministry of Health, for example, have signed a memorandum on the "Taiwan Medical Program to Nauru", and the hospital continues to dispatch medical specialists to serve in Nauru.

In the area of fisheries cooperation, President Tsai pointed out that Nauru and Taiwan are both maritime countries and therefore have a lot of room for cooperation in this sector. This past May the two countries signed the Taiwan-Nauru Fisheries Cooperation Agreement to promote cooperation in such areas as investment, research, development, and training in the marine aquaculture industry, and fisheries conservation.

President Tsai stated that Taiwan and Nauru have worked hand-in-hand to build robust diplomatic ties, and expressed hope that the two countries can promote more substantive cooperation projects. The president remarked that outgoing Nauru Ambassador to the ROC Ludwig Keke has laid an outstanding foundation. Noting that Ambassador Jeremiah shoulders heavy responsibilities, she is hopeful that the two countries will further enhance their bilateral friendship.