Asuncion, Jan. 13 (CNA) ROC Vice President Annette Lu said Sunday that the Republic of China and Paraguay should further strengthen agricultural cooperation in order to create the greatest possible wealth for their farmers.
Lu, who arrived in Asuncion from Nicaragua Saturday for a three-day official visit, made the appeal while touring a horticulture center established and operated with the assistance of the ROC agricultural mission in Paraguay.
Lu lauded the staff of the agricultural mission for their hard work in teaching Paraguayan farmers advanced farming technologies and boosting friendship between the peoples of the two countries.
Noting that there is still room for growth in bilateral agricultural cooperation, Lu said the ROC and Paraguayan governments can encourage their farmers and ranchers to forge strategic alliances to facilitate their regional and global business expansion plans.
Lu and her entourage were accompanied by Paraguayan Agriculture Minister Pedro Lino Morel and ROC Ambassador to Paraguay Bing F. Yen on her visit to the horticulture center.
Lino told Lu that the ROC technical mission's long-term efforts to assist in his country's agricultural development have paid off. "All of my compatriots welcome your arrival to share our joy over our country's progress in agricultural development in recent years," he added.
Later in the day, Lu and her entourage attended a luncheon jointly hosted by major Chinese community associations here in their honor.
Speaking on the occasion, Lu said she admires the entrepreneurial spirit of ROC expatriates in Paraguay. "You have traveled halfway round the world to reach this beautiful South American country to build up your new careers and businesses," Lu said. "You provide the best example of Taiwan's can-do spirit."
Lu further praised all Chinese people in Paraguay for their contributions to helping cementing diplomatic relations between the two countries. "You have been the most treasurable asset for our diplomatic work," she noted. Paraguay is the ROC's sole diplomatic ally in South America.
Lu's Sunday schedule also included meeting the Paraguayan media. In the evening, Paraguayan Vice President Julio Cesar Franco hosted a dinner in honor of Lu and her entourage.
Lu will pay a visit to Paraguayan President Luis Angel Gonzalez Macchi Monday for an exchange of views on matters of mutual concern. Both parties will then jointly preside over a ceremony marking the ROC's donation of two UH-1H military helicopters to Paraguay. After that, Gonzalez will host a luncheon in honor of Lu.
In addition to the two helicopters, the ROC is also offering maintenance and spare parts for the choppers. A 13-member ROC Army mission, led by Gen. Ho Chiang-hai of the army's Logistics Command, arrived in Asuncion Jan. 2 to assemble the two helicopters, the third and fourth of six craft that the ROC has promised to donate to the Paraguayan government. The first two were delivered in March 2001.
The Paraguayan government will decorate Lu with a national order at the Ministry of Foreign Relations in recognition of her efforts to boost Taipei-Asuncion relations.