The vice-president Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy has left for the Taiwanese capital of Taipei to attend the inauguration of President-elect Ma Yiny-jeou.

The vice-president is accompanied a eight-member delegation, including Dr Omar Touray, the secretary of state for Foreign Affairs. The vice-president will join about 530 foreign dignitaries.

The unofficial US embassy in Taiwan says US President George W Bush's former chief of staff Andrew Card will attend the May 20 inauguration of Taiwanese President-elect Ma-Ying-jeou. A string of activities have been lined up for the ceremony would mark the beginning of a new chapter for the Asian Pacific island state.