Paraguay issues stamps in honor of Taiwan

A senior postal official yesterday said that 25,000 stamps issued by the Republic of Paraguay to commemorate 45 years of diplomatic ties with Taiwan would improve understanding and enhance ties.

"Stamps, when affixed to mail and sent abroad, are the name cards of a nation. These stamps will not only improve mutual understanding but also enhance long-term relationships and bilateral ties," said the deputy director-general of the Directorate General of Postage (DGP), Huang Shui-chen (黃水成), at a ceremony held at the Postal Museum in downtown Taipei.

The tribute from Paraguay complemented those from Costa Rica and St Kitts and Nevis, whose heads of state, President Abel Pacheco and Governor-General Cuthbert Montraville Sebastian, respectively, were received by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday.

Ceremonies marking the first day of the stamps' issue were held simultaneously in both Taipei and the Paraguayan capital of Asuncion.

Paraguayan Ambassador H.E. Ceferino Adrian Valdez Peralta and Ho Ching-shan (侯清山), director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Bureau of Central and South American Affairs attended the ceremony in Taipei.

DGP Director-General Cheng Wen-jan (鄭文政) attended the event in Asuncion.

The stamp features a photograph of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in the center and the national flower of Paraguay and Taiwan on each side. It has value of 4,000 guarani, about NT$30.

Although the stamps are valid only in Paraguay, 10,000 have been made available for collectors in Taiwan at NT$30 each.

According to the director of the GDP's philatelic department, Young Huag-being (楊煌彬), this is not the first time another nation has issued stamps in tribute to Taiwan. Young added that almost all of the Paraguayan stamps on sale in Taiwan had been sold on their first day of issue yesterday.

Young said that by selling the stamps for Paraguay, the DGP, which will hand all revenues from the sale to the Paraguayan postal authorities, was helping the government to promote diplomatic ties with Taiwan's allies.

"Since the market for stamp collecting in Paraguay is not as big as that in Taiwan, Paraguay would be pleased if we could help them sell more stamps," he said, adding that the DGP is working on a plan to establish similar collaboration with other nations.

Paraguay is the fifth country to issue stamps to commemorate Taiwan, following Grenada in 1995, Nicaragua in 1996, the Solomon Islands in 1998 and Sao Tome and Principe in 2000.