President Ma Ying-jeou said Tuesday to a visiting delegation of British parliamentarians that he was deeply impressed that the United Kingdom has made human rights a major emphasis of its foreign policy. Ma was referring to a speech given on Sept. 15 by British Foreign Secretary William Hague in which he said his country will not attach less importance to human rights while seeking strengthened economic and political links with emerging economies. The president also stressed the efforts Taiwan has made to improve human rights protection, pointing to Taiwan's ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in 2009. The signing of those covenants, Ma said, was aimed at bringing Taiwan on a par with developed countries. The president also touched on the U.K.'s long-term relations with Taiwan, and he praised the inclusion of Taiwan in the U.K. visa waiver program in 2009, which has helped increase the number of Taiwanese visitors to Britain. Taiwan also signed a new air services agreement with the United Kingdom last November to increase flights between the two countries, marking a major milestone in the ever-improving bilateral ties, Ma said. 