Taipei, June 9 (CNA) The president of the Sao Tome and Principe National Assembly, Jose da Graca Diogo, arrived in Taiwan Tuesday at the head of a delegation to promote ties between the two diplomatic allies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that day.

The delegation is scheduled to meet with President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and call on Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and Deputy Foreign Minister Simon Ko (柯森耀) during the visit, which will continue until June 13, the ministry said in a statement.

Also in the delegation are Jorge Amado, president of the Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party, along with two other members of the country's National Assembly, the ministry added.

They will also visit the Taipei-based International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), a government-funded agency responsible for foreign aid programs; the Taiwan Africa Industry Development Association, which promotes industrial exchanges between Taiwan and Africa; and cultural and economic facilities, the ministry said.

The ministry expects that the visit will help the visitors from the West African country to learn more about Taiwan's development. It also hopes that the visit will promote parliamentary exchanges and strengthen bilateral cooperation and diplomatic ties between the two sides.

Sao Tome and Principe is one of Taiwan's 22 diplomatic allies, most of which are Central American and Pacific island countries.

(By Elaine Hou)
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