Dominican Republic President-elect Leonel Fernandez Reyna said yesterday that his country will continue to maintain and strengthen diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Fernandez, who was sworn in as the Dominican Republic's president yesterday, made the commitment while meeting with visiting Premier Yu Shyi-kun.
PHOTO: CNA
Yu congratulated Fernandez on his success in winning the presidency. He also expressed the hope that Taiwan-Dominican relations and cooperation can be further expanded during Fernandez's tenure.
The premier arrived in the Caribbean nation Saturday after a two-day transit stop in Los Angeles. He attended Fernandez's inauguration on behalf of President Chen Shui-bian (
Yu forwarded Chen's personal letter to Fernandez and invited him to visit Taiwan on Chen's behalf.
Earlier in the day, Yu met with outgoing Dominican President Rafael Hipolito Mejia Dominquez for wide-ranging talks. In addition to conveying Chen's regards and letter to Mejia, Yu also invited Mejia to visit Taiwan. Mejia promised to head a group of young Dominican business executives to visit Taiwan next spring.
In the afternoon, Yu toured a Taiwan-donated vocational training center housed in the Institute of Technology of Latin America. Yu chatted with the training center's seed instructors who had just concluded a three-month training course in Taiwan. Yu said he is pleased to see the seed instructors help train engineers and skilled workers to promote their country's industrial development.
Yu also attended a dinner hosted by major Taiwanese organizations in the Dominican Republic in honor of him and his entourage.
Members of Yu's entourage include Minister of Economic Affairs Ho Mei-yueh (
This is Yu's second overseas trip since assuming the premiership in February 2002. The 13-day diplomatic tour will also take him to Honduras and Nicaragua.
Meanwhile, Yu has taken advantage of his visit to the Dominican Republic to drum up support for Taiwan's bid to join the Organization of American States (OAS) as an observer, a member of Yu's entourage said Sunday.
Lin said Yu sought the support of former Costa Rican President Miguel Angel Rodriguez, who will soon be sworn in as OAS secretary-general, for the Taiwan's observership bid during a state banquet hosted by outgoing Dominquez.
Lin said Yu and his wife were seated at the same table with Rodriguez and an OAS deputy secretary-general of US citizenship.
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