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Taiwan's U.N. bid not included in summit communique

ROC Central News Agency

2007-08-24 19:23:38

    Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Aug. 23 (CNA) Taiwan's proposal that its Central American allies express support for the country's bid to join the United Nations was not included in a summit communique signed between the heads of state of Taiwan and its Central American allies Thursday.

    President Chen Shui-bian, who was in Honduras to participate in the summit of heads of state of Taiwan and its allies in Central America and the Caribbean, said he understands the support from these countries, even though the proposal was not included in the communique.

    According to Taiwanese officials accompanying Chen on his Central American visit, Taiwan proposed originally that the heads of states of Central American countries and the Dominican Republic that participated in the summit express their support in the communique that "Taiwan is a sovereign country that has the right to join the U.N., the World Health Organization and other world organizations."

    Chen told the reporters that he can "well understand the inconvenience for some countries to express their support for Taiwan's U.N. bid" as some are applying to be non-permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and might need support from China, which strongly opposes Taiwan's U.N. bid.

    The Republic of China has tried in vain to re-enter the United Nations since 1993 and this year decided to apply for a seat under the name of Taiwan.

    Although Chen sent two letters to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Taiwan's membership application under the name of Taiwan, the letters were rejected by Ban, who claimed that U.N. membership is only granted to sovereign countries and that the U.N. considers Taiwan to be part of China.

    Chen said after the summit that several heads of state of Taiwan's diplomatic allies had expressed their firm support for Taiwan, either at the summit or on other occasions, and that he appreciates their support.

    Foreign Minister James Huang, who is accompanying Chen, said that one or two countries said it would be "inconvenient" for them to endorse Taiwan's proposal in the communique.

    Saying that the failure to put the proposal in the communique will not affect these countries' support for Taiwan, Huang said Taiwan will keep strengthening communications with its allies regarding its U.N. bid.

(By Wen Kuei-hsiang and Elisa Kao)

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