Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

Taipei, April 18 (CNA) Republic of China President Chen Shui-bian has sent a congratulatory message to East Timor's president-elect Xanana Gusmao and pledged to continue promoting cooperation between Taiwan and East Timor.

In a similar message to Gusmao, Vice President Annette Lu also pledged that Taiwan will make more efforts to promote close and friendly cooperative ties with East Timor.

Chen and Lu congratulated Gusmao's landslide victory in the presidential election, the first of its kind in East Timor, Wednesday upon Gusmao's being officially declared the winner with 83 percent of the vote.

The ROC president and vice president also offered their blessing to East Timor, which is scheduled to be proclaimed by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on May 20 an independent nation after years of bloody civil strife for independence.

The statement said although Taiwan is not a UN member, it has always tried to bear the responsibilities as a member of the international community and is pleased to join all the world's democratic nations in welcoming East Timor as a member of the world's democracies.

During East Timor's civil strife, the ROC government and Taiwan's private charitable organizations continued to show concern over the people of East Timor.

East Timor, with a population of 740,000, will achieve independence next month, after more than four centuries as a Portuguese colony, 24 years as an Indonesian province and 31 months of United Nations' stewardship.