President Ma Ying-jeou met the president of the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN), Paula Lorena Rodriguez, and her delegation at the Presidential Office on Monday. He expressed appreciation for their support on the international stage.
Ma said Central America and the Caribbean are regions where Taiwan has many allies. He expressed appreciation for PARLACEN’s support in the United Nations:
"At many United Nations agencies, the Central American Parliament has publicly supported Taiwan. For example, it has expressed support for our nation’s East China Sea Peace Initiative," said Ma. "It has also supported our entering the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) activities as an observer. These friendly gestures have strengthened our friendship."
The president said he just led a delegation to Panama this month to attend the president’s inauguration. They also visited El Salvador and met with many Central American emissaries.
Taiwan has signed four Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with five Central American countries. The president said these FTAs have strengthened trade ties.
The president also highlighted PARLACEN’s support for Taiwan in its bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).