Taiwan visit a success’
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Tuesday, July 03, 2012

The Gambian leader has described his five-day state visit to the Republic
of China on Taiwan as a resounding success. His Excellency Sheikh Professor
Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh was speaking Monday morning to waiting journalists
shortly after landing at the Banjul International Airport.


President Jammeh was accompanied to Taiwan by a high-powered delegation
including the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Works,
Construction and Infrastructure respectively. The visit accorded him the
opportunity to meet with his Taiwanese counterpart, President Ma Ying-jeou,
and also attend the graduation ceremony of the Gambian students studying in
Taiwan universities among a host of activities on his itinerary.


“It has been a very successful visit because the Taiwanese were looking
forward to it, even though it was very tough due to the tight schedule we
had. They made sure that they kept us busy and we visited many places and
they also reciprocated to the latter the hospitality that was extended to
them when they were here,” the Gambian leader said. He added: “The
relationship between the two countries has been strengthened and the visit
was like visiting a neighbour.”


On how he felt being conferred yet another prestigious award for his
exemplary leadership role in the continent, the president said:“Well, every
human being feels grateful when he/she is honoured. So I have been very
grateful about it, but again I have received it on behalf of all Gambians
because what we did here led to the recognition. If Gambians were not
firmly behind me and supported me in my development endeavours, I may not
be able to have had any award.


So it is not for me as Yahya Jammeh but it is for the entire Gambian
populace. So I am proud of being a Gambian and I am proud of being the
leader of The Gambia. I am also proud of our students in Taiwan because
wherever we go, they told us that not only they behave well but they are
also very competitive in class and they are also very serious with their
classes and I was even told by the foreign minister of Taiwan that when
other students leave, Gambian students still stay up to late hours for
studies.


So that shows the resilience of Gambians not only they are in foreign
country but they are also competing with home-based students [Taiwanese].
They have done extremely well among other allies of Taiwan studying in
Taiwan. They were singled out as among the extra-ordinary group of students
ever received in Taiwan from their allies and they have asked us to send
more students.”


He also rated Taiwan’s policy on issuing scholarship to foreign students as
very good, saying it qualifies any foreign student an automatic scholarship
to the next degree programme. “I think it is very important because
Gambians have registered the highest in terms of the scholarship awarded to
foreign students, based on their performance.


So, we were welcomed with a Gambian Taiwanese, and among all these foreign
students there, Gambians are the most popular,” the president further
stated, and went on to urge Gambian students in Taiwan to complete their
initial courses first before opting for another course. “Come with an
academic degree first before you get another degree,” he added.


Trade opportunities

President Jammeh disclosed that the Foreign and Trade ministers also hosted
a trade opportunities seminar to boost the trade opportunities between the
two countries. But what was more important at that seminar he said was that
the ministers made it known to the Taiwanese the opportunities in The
Gambia in terms of investment, the incentives attached, and areas of
priority.


“They were fed with all the requisite information the investor needs to be
able to decide whether or not to invest in The Gambia. All what we can do
is to market the country and it is up to the investor to decide and I hope
that by virtue of our relationship with Taiwan they will come and invest in
The Gambia. I am already aware of Taiwanese who have invested in The Gambia
since 1997, so we leave the rest with the Almighty Allah,” he concluded.
Author: *Musa Ndow*


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