President Hipolito Mejia leaves tomorrow for Taiwan for a five-day official visit. The purpose of the trip is to strengthen bilateral relations and to sign agreements for the maintenance of the nation’s dams, financing of housing, and production of energy, as reported in the press. Major points on his agenda are: Meeting with Evergreen shipping company (http://www.evergreen-marine.com.tw/) Meeting with Eva Air, a Taiwan airline company (http://www.evaair.com.tw/) Meeting with Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian, exchange of decorations Visit to Green Festival of I-lan, an agribusiness exhibition. Visit to Taisan Vocational Training Center and Yimei food production operation in Taipei. Meeting with the president of the National Assembly, Wang Jyng Ping. Meeting with Taiwan Prime Minister Chan Chun Hsiung. Meeting of Dominican businessmen and Taiwan businessmen coordinated by the Dominican Investment Office (OPI). Dinner offered by the Minister of Foreign Relations of Taiwan, Tien Hung Mao. Conference by the President at the National University of Taiwan on the Taiwan agriculture experience adapted to Latin America and the Caribbean. News reports say he is traveling with Minister of Foreign Relations Hugo Tolentino Dipp; Secretary of the Presidency Sergio Grullon; Minister of Agriculture Eligio Jaquez; general manager of the state electricity utility Cesar Sanchez; Danilo Rosario of the Dominican Investment Promotion Office (OPI); and the director of press of the Palace, Luis Gonzalez Fabra. He is also traveling with a group of Dominican businessmen, that news reports say include Marino Ginebra, president of the National Council of Business; Rafael Perello, Jerry Dupuy, Luis Viyella, Miguel Sanchez, Pedro Castillo, Banco del Progreso; Ramon Baez Figueroa, Banco Intercontinental; Juan Ramon Gomez Diaz, Canal 5; Jose Clase, president of the Dominican Free Zone Association. Accompanying the President are also Benito Ferreiras, rector of the Superior Institute of Agriculture (ISA) and Carlos Aquino Gonzalez, director of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). This is the President’s 18th trip to Taiwan. Most of these trips he has carried out as a private businessman.
