President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) presided over a welcoming ceremony at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall complex yesterday in honor of Costa Rican President Abel Pacheco de la Espriella, who arrived in Taipei on Sunday for a six-day state visit.
During the ceremony, Pacheco was accorded full military honors, complete with a 21-gun salute.
Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) and several other senior officials, as well as legislators and members of the diplomatic corps, also attended the ceremony.
Addressing the ceremony, Chen said that the day was one of the happiest in his life -- because of the arrival of Pacheco for a state visit, the approaching Double Ten National Day and the birth of his first grandson earlier in the day.
Despite their geographic distance, Chen went on, Taiwan and Costa Rica have maintained a longstanding cordial relationship because of their shared values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Chen said he is convinced that Pacheco's visit will further boost bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields.
Pacheco first visited Taiwan in August 1993 during his stint as chairman of the Social Christian Unity Party.
"It is my hope that President Pacheco will take advantage of his current trip to see first-hand Taiwan's developments over the past decade and offer valuable advice on our betterment," Chen said.
For his part, Pacheco thanked everyone for the hospitality extended to him and his entourage. He also expressed gratitude for Taiwan's assistance to his country over the past years. Meanwhile, he reaffirmed his commitment to further promoting cooperation with Taiwan and continuing to support Taiwan's bid to join the UN and other major international organizations.
Chen also hosted a state dinner for Pacheco at the Kaohsiung Hospitality College (
RSS