Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) arrived in El Salvador on Saturday and met with Salvadorean president-elect Sanchez Ceren, as both men spoke of the good relations between the two countries and their hope to further strengthen their mutual bonds.
The premier was welcomed by Salvadorean Vice Minister for Salvadoreans Abroad Juan Jose Garcia, while dignitaries from other nations were either received by the Salvadorean Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaime Miranda or Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Castaneda, prompting questions whether the El Salvador government was giving Jiang a substandard reception.
Jiang attended yesterday’s inauguration of the Salvadorean president on behalf of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
Photo: CNA
After his arrival, the premier, his wife, Lee Shu-jen (李淑珍), and his entourage drove to Casa Presidencial to visit El Salvador’s first lady, Vanda Pignato. Jiang invited Pignato to bring her six-year-old son to Taiwan after her husband steps down from office.
Later, Jiang met with Ceren, who welcomed his visit and said the friendship between the Republic of China and El Salvador remains solid.
Meanwhile, Salvadorean vice president-elect Oscar Ortiz and a number of Cabinet members traveled to Jiang’s hotel to meet with him.
Ortiz said that the new administration is determined to strengthen diplomatic bonds with Taiwan.
Jiang also had lunch with Taiwanese expatriates living in El Salvador and on Saturday traveled to see an exhibition, entitled “One unique product from each town,” at the National Museum of Anthropology in the capital city.
The first stage of a cooperative program, which started in 2012 between the two nations, has been completed, in which the pottery arts from Ilobasco, a northern central municipality in El Salvador, have been developed and combined with pottery techniques from New Taipei City’s Yingge District (鶯歌).
Jiang was slated to head home following a state banquet yesterday afternoon.
Additional reporting by Tsao Po-yan
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