Print

Mail

wiki links

Foreign ministry regrets UN walkout

UN officials on Tuesday walked out of a conference on landmines held in Nicaragua to protest the presence of a Taiwanese diplomat.

But Nicaragua's determination that Taiwan be allowed to participate in the event shows that ties with that country are strong, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Katharine Chang (張小月) confirmed that Taiwan's ambassador to Nicaragua, Antonio Tsai (蔡德三), had attended the conference.

Tsai's presence prompted the walkout.

Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Francisco Aguirre said Thursday that UN delegate Pericle Gasparin objected to Taiwan's attendance at the conference. Participants are representatives of signatory states to the Ottawa Convention, also known as the convention to ban landmines.

Gasparin and a number of other UN representatives later walked out of the inaugural ceremony on Tuesday, Aguirre said.

"I told him emphatically that same day that in our home, we invite whomever we want, and that while we respect the UN position, we insist that this basic norm of hospitality be respected," Aguirre said.

Chang said that Taiwan was informed in advance by Nicaraguan authorities about the UN's attitude on the matter.

"Not only did Minister Aguirre tell us that they would not yield to the UN's objections, he made clear Nicaragua's continuing good will toward Taiwan," Chang said.

Taiwan is not a member of the UN, nor is it a signatory to the Ottawa Convention. But as a diplomatic ally of Nicaragua, Antonio Tsai was invited to the opening ceremony, cocktail reception and the closing ceremony.

China, like Taiwan, is not a signatory to the Ottawa convention.
This story has been viewed 1632 times.