Taipei - Taiwan on Sunday admitted it is considering writing
off some of Nicaragua's debts to Taipei, but denied speculation that
Nicaragua made the demand in exchange for keeping diplomatic ties
with Taipei.
'We are considering it from the humanitarian point of view, but it
has not been decided yet. It is international consensus to help needy
countries,' Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Chien-yen told reporters.
Wang was responding to a Taiwan newspaper report that Nicaraguan
Foreign Minister Samuel Santos mentioned the request to reporters on
June 22, after he had conferred a medal on Taiwan's ambassador to
Nicaragua Hung Ming-ta.
Nicaragua wants Taiwan to write off the debts in exchange for
Managua's temporarily maintaining ties with Taiwan, the China Times
said.
The China Times said Nicaragua owes Taiwan 160 million dollars,
and the total debt would be higher if Taipei's loans to Nicaragua
extended through the Central American Integration System were also
taken into account.
A day earlier, on June 21, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega
said his government was waiting for Taiwan's reply regarding
Managua's request for electricity-generation equipment.
China Times quoted Ortega as saying there would be no change in
bilateral ties if the equipment is delivered and put into operation
in October, in an apparent allusion to Nicaragua's conditions for
continued diplomatic recognition of the island.
Since Costa Rica switched recognition from Taiwan to China on June
1, reports in the Taiwanese press have speculated that Nicaragua also
planned to break ties with Taipei to recognize Beijing.
But Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Santos denied it, saying his
country treasured its friendship with Taiwan.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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