The president of the Republic, Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, has described his visit to the Republic of China (Taiwan) as fruitful. He was speaking to reporters on Saturday morning on arrival in Banjul, at the end of his week-long state visit to that country.

President Jammeh was met on arrival at the Banjul International Airport by the vice president and secretary of state for Women's Affairs - Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, secretaries of state, the secretary general and head of the civil service, the chief justice and other senior government officials. Also at the Banjul International Airport to receive the president were service chiefs, National Assembly members, members of the diplomatic and consular community, some cultural groups and a cross section of the community.

This is President Jammeh's first visit to Taiwan since the democratic change of government that saw his counterpart, President Ma Ying-jeou, come into office. The Gambian leader is delighted to have been able to honour the second invitation extended to him, enabling him to have a first hand meeting with the new Taiwanese leader, a meeting Professor Jammeh described as "very fruitful."

With the technical cooperation programme between the two countries intact, this visit also provided opportunity for expansion in certain key areas of the pact as well as providing opportunity for the Gambian leader to visit learning institutions which Gambians are attending and where other Gambians are going to be trained in the future. President Jammeh told reporters that the Technical Cooperation Agreement between the two countries is all inclusive; encompassing cultural exchange, commercial, political and scientific development, and that in almost all these areas "we have Gambians that are being trained." But he added that this time around the idea is to concentrate on key priority areas of the country's economy, like education, health and infrastructural development.

"But when we are talking about infrastructural development we are not saying they should give us money to develop our infrastructure," President Jammeh said, citing the example of the Banjul International Airport, where he said most of the engineers are foreigners.

"We are also going to train Gambians so that in the next five to seven years we may not have the need to hire foreign experts in certain areas." The president talked about a crop of home grown engineers he envisages to take over responsibility for the infrastructural development of the country in the next five years. In Taiwan, a strategic ally to The Gambia, as far as President Jammeh is concerned, who becomes president is entirely the will of the people. "We are not particularly tied to individuals," he said, adding, "What we are attached to are the government and people of Taiwan."

Describing President Ma as a nice and intelligent person, President Jammeh noted with delight that the Taiwanese leader is well abreast with everything that is going on. Delving into the issue of scholarship, he said that every Gambian leaving The Gambia for Taiwan will be under one form of scholarship or another. "We will not allow Gambians to go to Taiwan and look for scholarship. Either they go under Gambia Government scholarship or Taiwanese Government scholarship."

During his visit to institutions of learning attended by Gambians, a chair was set up in honour of President Jammeh which will be used to sponsor Gambian students, and also strengthen the cooperation between The Gambia and Taiwan.

President Jammeh in Taiwan courtesy of Abdou Njie, GRTS
This was President Jammeh's eighth visit to Taiwan and the first during the tenure of President Ma Ying-Jeou. Relations between the two countries have been fruitful and naturally beneficial, with The Gambia serving as the most active voice advocating for the recognition of the right of the 23 million Taiwanese citizens who have proven productive and efficient in steering the affairs of their country.

President Jammeh arrived at the Grand Formosa Regent Hotel in Taipei where he would be installed, but he was caught unawares by the symbolic welcome Gambian students, presently studying on scholarship in Taiwan, had been able to muster. The 108 students pursuing various degree programmes in Taiwan are symbolically the products of the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Day Two saw the visiting leader, President Yahya Jammeh, being formally honoured with a welcome salute, presided over by his host, President Ma, at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Square. That exercise was extraordinary in nature, orchestrated by the Taiwanese authorities and opening the gates of their capital for further cooperation with The Gambia; and was the first official meeting by the two leaders.

President Ma Ying-Jeou stated that the visit by the Gambian leader underscored the cordial relations that exist between Banjul and Taipei and reassured the Gambian delegation of his government's commitment to strengthening those ties. The Gambian leader has been leading a unique diplomatic battle, advocating for the recognition of Taiwan and will to a large extent wish to introduce in The Gambia a replica of the high tech industries that have boosted structural and economic growth in the island country.

Taipei's infrastructural development, President Jammeh noted, is remarkable, considering its series of repeated occupations. His government has continued to nurture the values and requisites of development which are underpinned by the commitment and resilience of the people of a country. And Taiwan, as a product of that resilience, is today among the fastest growing economies in the world, in spite of its small size. Just like the Asian leaders  who envisaged this type of growth, President Jammeh's government is investing in the young people through education and skills acquisition with the main objective and aim that these products, upon their return, will help gear up the country's key sectors, ideal for any meaningful transformation.

It is noteworthy that these transformations taking place at home are being closely monitored by the leadership in Taiwan. President Ma, finally in the confines of his palace, said The Gambia deserves commendation for its sound banking policy, which to a large extent spelt out the economic growth forecast for 2009. These economic and infrastructural achievements, and the recent U17 championship victory in the junior tournament in Algeria, according to President Ma, represent President Jammeh's ambition for development.

The Gambian leader, humbled by the praises showered on his government, also commended Taiwan for being part of his success. Taipei had thrown its weight behind The Gambia since her birth as an independent state.  President Jammeh however admitted that it had not been an easy task building a nation from scratch. His eighth visit to Taiwan, President Jammeh told his host, aims at consolidating these growing ties built from independence, with focus on training the human resource base of the country.

At a state banquet later that evening, the two leaders reiterated their commitment to expand, on one hand, cooperation in the fields of agriculture, health, education and trade, and, on the other hand, boost advocacy for Taiwan's admission in the World Health Organisation system, in line with the organisation's charter which enshrines the attainment of standard health as a fundamental right. After just two days in Taipei, President Jammeh has made additional gains in the Taiwan-Gambia long standing relations through genuine government policies and his personality, which grabbed the attention of the Taiwanese media.