The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday that the country's ambassador to Liberia was preparing to return to the war-torn African country in the middle of October.
Francias Lee (
Chen is now in Ivory Coast, where he relocated his embassy in July for security reasons.
A Monrovia businessman, Gyude Bryant, was selected on Aug. 21 to lead the transitional government that will run Liberia for two years until democratic elections are held.
Bryant is chairman of the Liberian Action Party and a prominent Episcopal layman. Wesley Momo Johnson of the United People's Party was selected for the position of vice chairman of the transitional government.
Chen, on behalf of the Taiwanese government, has contacted Bryant and Johnson to congratulate them on their appointments and expressed Taiwan's desire to continue cooperation with the country, Lee said.
The transitional government, under the terms of a peace agreement signed on Aug. 18, will take office on Oct. 14, replacing the current government headed by President Moses Blah.
Meanwhile, Liberian Ambassador John Cummings said yesterday he did not foresee any change in Liberia's relationship with Taiwan after the transitional government takes office.
He said he believed the best time for Chen to return to Liberia was in mid-October.
Cummings made the comment during a luncheon where the African Women's Group in Taipei made donations to the people of Liberia through the Rotary Club of Taipei. The donations included used clothes, shoes and medicine.
Items donated by other private sector organizations and individuals to Liberia included cash, rice, clothes, tents, sleeping bags and rain suits.
Cummings said he thought that regardless of who was in power in Liberia, the country's relationship with Taiwan will be maintained.
"Taiwan has been behind Liberia" through years of political turbulence, he said.
Taiwan's aid to Liberia during this period was not to any individual or party but to the whole Liberian people, Cummings said.
"Liberians are grateful," he said.
He said that Taiwan's contributions to Liberia were greater than those of all other countries.
Taiwan has dispatched doctors and specialists to serve people in the rural areas of Liberia, many of whom have not seen a doctor for nearly 10 years, he said.
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