President Tsai meets Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega
At 6:30 p.m. on Monday, January 9 local time (8:30 a.m. on January 10 Taipei time), President Tsai Ing-wen met with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega for talks.
In remarks, President Tsai stated that before coming to Nicaragua she had already heard a lot about President Ortega's past as a revolutionary. This is very different from what many people from Taiwan's current generation experienced as they grew up, so she said she feels both curiosity and respect for President Ortega. She further added that he looks much younger in person than in photos.
President Tsai specially thanked President Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo Zambrana for inviting her to attend their inauguration. This has been a very important trip, she said, because she wanted to convey the Taiwan people's congratulations to the president and vice president in person, and she hoped to take advantage of this opportunity to enhance the bilateral friendship.
President Tsai thanked Nicaragua and other friends among the countries of Central America for their longstanding support for Taiwan's quest to participate in the United Nations and other international bodies. President Tsai said that President Ortega, as a revolutionary, is a person who stands up for what is right, and she thanked him deeply for upholding Taiwan's status as a country that should have a role and a position in the international community.
Noting that President Ortega had just mentioned that Taiwan is an economically powerful country, President Tsai stated that Taiwan's economic power had been slowly built up over many years, and is due in part to support that Taiwan received over a long period of time from its international friends.
President Tsai stressed that Taiwan is willing to give back to the international community to help its friends, and hopes that by acting via a variety of cooperation projects it can make the people of both countries gain an appreciation for the friendship that exists between the people of Taiwan and other countries, and can enable us to improve our people's lives in terms of the economy, employment, and many other aspects.
President Tsai stated that the Central American countries she is visiting on this trip are all long-time friends of Taiwan. Noting that President Ortega had earlier said that economic integration among Taiwan's diplomatic allies in Central America will enable those countries to tap into their full potential, President Tsai said she looks forward to seeing the countries of Central America achieve rapid economic development and enabling their people to live well. "We will do everything we can to help," said the president.
In concluding her remarks, President Tsai stated that Taiwan is willing to discuss cooperation projects with the Nicaragua government, and the members of this delegation would all be very happy to engage in discussions and work together with the government and people of Nicaragua.
Before President Tsai spoke, President Ortega delivered remarks of his own, welcoming President Tsai and her delegation to Nicaragua to attend the inauguration of the president and vice president. Noting that President Tsai's itinerary also included visits to Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, President Ortega said these countries are all like brothers to Nicaragua, so he feels very happy to see that Taiwan also has very close ties with those countries.
President Ortega pointed out that Nicaragua, in accordance with the principles of fairness and justice, will continue supporting Taiwan's right to participate in international bodies and activities, and will help Taiwan safeguard its interests.
After the meeting, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Tseng Hou-jen (曾厚仁) noted that President Tsai had met with two different heads of state in two different countries within a single day, which is quite a difficult feat. Especially noteworthy is the fact that each meeting was a big success and will play a big role in strengthening and enhancing bilateral diplomatic relations.