President Tsai Ing-wen touched down Jan. 9 in Nicaragua on the second leg of a nine-day official trip to four Republic of China (Taiwan) allies in Central America, including Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador in that order.
 
Welcomed by Nicaraguan presidential adviser Denis Moncada at Augusto C. Sandino International Airport in the capital Managua, Tsai inspected a military honor guard before addressing the assembled media contingent in the terminal.
 
It is a great honor to be invited to attend the Jan. 10 inauguration ceremony of President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, Tsai said. The people of Taiwan extend their most sincere greetings to the government and people of Nicaragua, she added.
 
According to the president, Taiwan and Nicaragua enjoy close and friendly relations, with Ortega an “old friend” of the country. Over the past few years, exchanges have intensified across the cultural, economic and political spheres, Tsai said.
 
The president also held bilateral talks with Ortega on issues of mutual interest and discussed ways of deepening the friendship between the two nations and promoting the well-being of their respective peoples, according to the Office of the President.
 
In a post on Tsai’s personal Facebook page, the president said she invited Ortega to visit Taiwan and welcomed more exchanges and cooperation programs between the two countries. The Nicaraguan leader responded by stating he would seriously consider the invitation and in the spirit of justice, always supported Taiwan’s expanded participation in international organizations. Ortega also said he hopes to see more economic and trade activities under the Taiwan-Nicaragua free trade agreement, Tsai added.
 
Prior to arriving in Nicaragua, the president attended a Jan. 9 state banquet hosted by Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez Alvarado. Tsai said since taking office May 20, 2016, she has met with the leader of Honduras three times, reflecting the depth and stability of bilateral ties dating back 75 years.
 
According to the president, Taiwan and Honduras enjoy exchanges across an array of areas such as agriculture, education, fisheries, health and social welfare. More than 300 students from Honduras—including Hernandez’s daughter Ivonne—have studied in the ROC under the Taiwan Scholarship Program, Tsai said, adding that the two nations will work to expand the initiative so as to allow for more people-to-people exchanges and the nurturing of talents.
 
In addition to highlighting the progress Hernandez has made in delivering good governance to the Honduran people, the president said Taiwan places great importance on the development of a mutually beneficial assistance and cooperation program with Honduras. Going forward, the government will encourage more Taiwan companies to invest and grow their footprints in Honduras on the road to creating reciprocal trade portals for the two countries in Asia and Central America, Tsai added.
 
Earlier the same day, the president met with Hernandez at the Honduran Presidential Palace. The pair discussed a wide range of issues of mutual concern, with Tsai thanking Hernandez and the first lady for their friendship and support.
 
Although Taiwan and Honduras are geographically distant, a longstanding friendship brings the two nations closer together, the president said, adding that mutual support remains constant in the face of a changing international situation and ongoing domestic challenges.
 
Tsai also visited Suyapa Cathedral in the capital Tegucigalpa the same day and took part in a dinner banquet with Taiwan expatriates the night before. In addition, she inspected several joint cooperation projects such as the Healthy Avocado Seedling Production Project and Healthy Seed Potato Production Project—both implemented by International Cooperation and Development Fund, or TaiwanICDF—as well as the One Town, One Product initiative.
 
During the rest of her trip to Central America, the president will lead a fact-finding visit to coffee plantations in El Salvador. She is scheduled to return to Taiwan Jan. 15 after a stopover in San Francisco. (SFC-E)
 
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