President Ma Ying-jeou has embarked on his eleventh overseas visit since coming to office in 2008. The trip will take him to the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nicaragua for talks with heads of state.
On his way to the Caribbean, the president will go to Harvard University, his alma mater, during a stopover in Boston. He is scheduled to give a speech at a gathering at Harvard.
Speaking to reporters at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Saturday, Ma said he hopes to deepen bilateral cooperation with Taiwan’s allies during the trip. While in the Dominican Republic, Ma will deliver a speech to the nation’s Congress and hold talks with President Danilo Medina. He will also visit two centers for underprivileged children.
In Haiti, Ma and his Haitian counterpart Michel Joseph Martelly will jointly inaugurate the new office building of the country’s supreme court. The project was built with help from Taiwan after the original was destroyed by an earthquake in 2010.
While in Nicaragua, Ma will call on President Daniel Ortega and visit Taiwanese businesses in the country.
Ma is due to return to Taiwan on July 18 after a stopover in Los Angeles.