Nicaraguan Foreign
Minister invited for
Taiwan's National Day
TAIPEI, Taiwan --
Nicaraguan Foreign
Minister Samuel Santos
has been invited to
visit Taiwan to attend
the country's Double Ten
National Day
celebrations, Ministry
of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
sources said yesterday.
It will be Santos' first
trip to the Republic of
China since he assumed
office early this year,
the sources said.
Santos originally
planned to visit Taiwan
in the first quarter of
this year, but later
canceled his travel plan
due to his busy work
schedule. Since the
Sandinistas regained
power in January,
speculation has been
rife about the
possibility of Nicaragua
switching its diplomatic
allegiance from Taipei
to Beijing.
Relations between the
two countries have
become more stable
following President Chen
Shui-bian's visit to
Nicaragua in August,
MOFA sources said,
adding that the
government has invited
Santos to join the Oct.
10 National Day
celebrations as part of
its efforts to further
boost bilateral
exchanges and
cooperation.
According to the
sources, Santos will
head a delegation
composed of many
high-ranking Nicaraguan
officials to visit
Taiwan. During its stay,
the Santos-led mission
will meet with local
officials on measures to
facilitate cooperation
in technological,
investment, hydraulic
power generation, public
health care and other
relevant fields.
In line with diplomatic
protocol, the sources
said, the itinerary of
Santos' visit will be
formally announced by
the governments of the
two countries in the
next few days.
Besides Santos, the
sources said, many other
foreign dignitaries,
including Paraguayan
President Nicanor Duarte
Frutos, the Dominican
Republic vice president,
the Swazi parliamentary
speaker and members of a
Malawi female lawmakers
alliance, will also
travel to Taipei to join
the ROC National Day
celebrations.
Many legislators and
think tank scholars from
the United States and
Japan, two of Taiwan's
most important trading
partners and security
allies, will also come
to celebrate the
country's birthday, the
sources added. |
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