The 2007 Taiwan-Africa Progressive Partnership Forum on the theme: “Towards prosperity and sustainable development”, opened yesterday at the Grand Hotel in Taipei, Taiwan.

More than 100 delegates from Taiwan’s five African allies, including representatives from 35 other African countries and various sectors of the Taiwanese economy, participated in the forum. Bai Matarr Drammeh, President of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce, led the private sector group of The Gambia to the forum.

Speaking at the opening of the forum, President Chen Shui-bian lauded the attendance as historic and urged the participants, including politicians, think-tanks, business leaders and other stakeholders, to work towards a partnership that will propel the engine of cooperation for the benefit of the people of the countries.

Delivering a statement on behalf of President Yahya Jammeh, Vice President Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, propounded on the need to open up "our frontiers" to explore the vast opportunities that genuine partnership has to offer. She stressed that it makes good economic sense to invest in Africa.

She briefed the forum delegates about The Gambia as an investment haven, describing it as the gateway for investment in Africa, considering its investment policy, security, peace and stable democracy. She advised the forum to take advantage of the vast experience and expertise Taiwan has to offer and then expressed her admiration for the Asian-Pacific island state, which has developed itself from rags to riches.

The Vice-President told the forum to conduct their proceedings in the context of poverty eradication and economic prosperity. The Vice-President gained an impressive applause shortly before she ended her speech, when she declared that the essence is not in the number of friends, but how many "genuine friends" one has.

Other African leaders at the opening ceremony also spoke at the opening of the forum, expressing similar sentiments.

Delegates to the forum later delved into the proceedings of the summit, paying attention to matters revolving around the theme of the forum.