Addressing the ceremony held at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall plaza, Ma said that Guatemala and the Republic of China have maintained close and cordial bilateral ties since the two countries established formal diplomatic relations in 1935.

He said the ROC values its deep-rooted friendship with Guatemala and will continue to bolster bilateral exchanges, including cooperation in business and trade and exchanges of visits by personnel from the two sides, to deepen the partnership between the two countries.

"The ROC is more than willing to share its development experiences with Guatemala, particularly at a time when the world situation is changing fast," Ma noted.

He said Colom's "extraordinary leadership" is "greatly respected and adored" by the Guatemalan people.

Ma gave Colom a hearty welcome to Taiwan as the first president from a foreign country to arrive to attend the Double Ten National Day celebrations slated for Friday since Ma took office May 20.

For his part, Colom offered his most sincere gratitude to the ROC for its staunch support for and cooperation with Guatemala.

Noting that Taiwanese people are known around the world for their great diligence in work, Colom said the ROC is a role model for Guatemala.

"There are great number of friends of Guatemala in Taiwan, among them Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco H.L. Ou, " Colom went on, adding that these people will help increase the cooperation between the two countries.

Colom expressed hope that with their close ties, Taiwan and Guatemala can fight shoulder to shoulder and fare well in the face of mounting global challenges in energy resources, environmental protection, climate change and other critical issues.

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