Taiwan leader gets Dominican Republic’s highest honor

Santo Domingo.- President Danilo Medina on Monday bestowed the country’s highest honor, the Order of Merit Duarte, Sanchez and Mella on president Ma Ying-jeou, who’s in the country on an official visit since Sunday.

Speaking in the National Palace Medina praised Taiwan’s aid for education, the environment, and work to bolster diplomatic ties between the two countries and Ma’s work to forge key agreements between Beijing and Taipei on air transport, tourism, food security among others.

"The Dominican Republic holds its relations with the Taiwan Republic of China in very high regard and appreciates their generous, unconditional and continuous cooperation with our development programs, which can only be rewarded with our recognition," Medina said.

Ma said Taiwan will continue to work on cooperation for the prosperity of the two countries and stressed his nation’s support for Dominican Republic, of up to US$50.0 million during each government period.