President Tsai meets Paraguay Supreme Court President Eugenio Jiménez Rolón
On the morning of August 5, President Tsai Ing-wen met with Eugenio Jiménez Rolón, the president of the Supreme Court of Paraguay, and his wife. President Tsai said she hopes to enhance bilateral judicial cooperation and exchanges so that the two countries can work together to contribute more to the rights and interests of their respective peoples, and to social justice.
In remarks, President Tsai first welcomed Mr. and Mrs. Jiménez on their first visit to Taiwan. Noting that Paraguayan Congress and Senate President Silvio Ovelar and Supreme Court President Jiménez have both visited Taiwan this year, President Tsai said she was very pleased to be able to successively host the heads of Paraguay's legislative and judicial branches at the Presidential Office.
President Tsai stated that last month, Taiwan and Paraguay marked the 62nd anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations. Over the past three years, she said, reciprocal visits between our heads of state and other senior officials have brought about increasingly close bilateral exchanges and cooperation. For example, Taiwan's Minister of Economic Affairs Shen Jong-Chin (沈榮津) also led a delegation to Paraguay to attend the 19th Conference on Economic Cooperation Between Taiwan and Paraguay last month.
President Tsai pointed out in addition to holding a round-table discussion with Taiwan-invested firms in Paraguay, Minister Shen's visit also helped build consensus regarding bilateral cooperation to develop agriculture, improve industrial competitiveness, and cultivate professional talent in the fields of information and communications. Over the past three years, she added, we have continued to send delegations to Paraguay to assess the investment environment and exchange views regarding possible cooperation in the orchid and tourism industries.
Stating that Mr. Jiménez is quite concerned about Paraguay's investment climate, President Tsai noted that in remarks when he was appointed to the Supreme Court, he emphasized the importance of judicial fairness and pointed out that a lack of judicial protections would put a damper on investments and lead to a lack of job opportunities.
President Tsai further noted that Mr. Jiménez, as president of the Paraguayan Supreme Court, has made a concerted effort to address the following three key tasks: increasing organizational transparency; achieving a sensible budget; and reducing delays in the hearing of cases. Under Mr. Jiménez' leadership, she said, Paraguay's judicial system has become more transparent, fairer, and more efficient.
President Tsai emphasized that Mr. Jiménez' ideas and actions are precisely the kind of judicial protections that Taiwan-invested firms in Paraguay hope to receive.
And finally, President Tsai expressed hope that this visit will help Mr. Jiménez develop a deeper understanding of Taiwan's judicial system, and enhance bilateral judicial cooperation and exchanges so that both sides can work together to contribute more to the rights and interests of their respective peoples, and to social justice. She also wished Mr. and Mrs. Jiménez a smooth and successful visit.