The Presidential Office said yesterday it was too early to tell whether President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) would attend the leaders’ summit in Solomon Islands in October.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco Ou (歐鴻鍊) said during an interview with Radio Taiwan International on Monday that Ma was likely to attend a summit of leaders of Taiwan and its South Pacific allies in the Solomon Islands in October.
However, Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said it was too early to tell whether the trip would proceed.
As for the two trips the ministry is arranging for Ma later this month and in July, Wang said they were just proposals and the one scheduled for July had yet to be finalized.
Ma is scheduled to embark on a 10-day visit to Central America from May 26 through June 4. The main purpose is to attend the June 1 inauguration of El Salvadoran president-elect Mauricio Funes.
The trip will also include a visit to Belize, a diplomatic source said yesterday on condition of anonymity.
Ma would also travel to Guatemala and Belize, the source said.
Another source confirmed the arrangement last week, saying that Ma would go to Belize rather than Honduras as initially planned.
Last Wednesday the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rebutted a newspaper report that Ma’s plan to visit Honduras had been called off by Honduran President Mel Zelaya because one of Taiwan’s foreign aid programs there had been suspended.
The ministry is also arranging for Ma to visit Panama in July to attend the inauguration of the country’s next president.
Central and South America and the Caribbean are Taiwan’s diplomatic strongholds, with many of its 23 diplomatic allies located there.
Ma, who met Solomon Islands Prime Minister Derek Sikua at the Presidential Office yesterday, said his administration attached great importance to its Pacific ally and hoped to strengthen bilateral ties.
Ma said Taiwan and the Solomon Islands have enjoyed stable relations and that Taipei would continue its projects there in medical care, agriculture, fishing and education.
Construction of a central hospital in Honiara was also near completion, Ma said.
Meanwhile, Wang said a blog could be launched for Ma, adding that the NT$1.6 million (US$50,000) budget would cover planning, design and salaries salaries.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CNA
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