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Gambia president’s Taiwan visit bolsters ties

ROC President Ma Ying-jeou (left) and Gambian President Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh review a military honor guard at National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall June 26 in Taipei City. (Courtesy of Presidential Office)

• Publication Date：06/27/2012
• Source： Taiwan Today
• By  Rachel Chan

Gambian President Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh kicked off a five-day state visit to Taiwan June 26, seeking to strengthen ties between the ROC and the West African country.

Greeted by ROC President Ma Ying-jeou and a group of high-ranking central government officials at National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei City, Jammeh was feted with a military honor guard and 21 gun salute.

In his welcoming address, Ma thanked Jammeh for promptly taking up a personal invitation to visit Taiwan made during the ROC president’s visit to The Gambia in April. He said the trip is a good opportunity for both leaders to discuss international affairs and other issues of mutual concern.

“The close friendship between our two nations is illustrated by robust bilateral cooperation and people-to-people exchanges such as a scholarship program enabling more than 200 Gambian students to study in Taiwan,” Ma said.

Echoing the president’s remarks, Jammeh said the ROC is an important strategic partner that has helped The Gambia grow into a stronger nation.

“This is my ninth visit to Taiwan over the past 17 years as head of state, a reflection of the closeness and strength of bilateral relations,” Jammeh said, adding that he views Taiwan as his second home.

The African leader vowed to continue supporting the government’s drive to secure expanded participation for Taiwan in international organizations.

Jammeh, who is leading a high-level delegation comprising five ministers, will attend a state banquet and dinner reception hosted respectively by Ma and Foreign Minister Timothy Chin-tien Yang.

He will also visit a government job training center in Kaohsiung City and deliver a keynote address at a Taipei seminar on trade and investment opportunities in The Gambia before wrapping up his trip June 30. (JSM)

Write to Rachel Chan at ccchan@mofa.gov.tw