President Tsai Ing-wen said March 28 that relations between Taiwan and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are going from strength to strength and she looks forward to the two sides pursuing more frequent exchanges on a variety of cooperative issues.
Taiwan and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have enjoyed friendly diplomatic ties for almost 40 years, Tsai said. The staunch support for Taiwan’s international participation during this time by the diplomatic ally is deeply appreciated by the government and the people, she added.
Tsai made the remarks while receiving a delegation from St. Vincent and the Grenadines led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Louis Hilton Straker at the Office of the President in Taipei City. Straker is on his eighth trip to Taiwan at the head of an official delegation from the Caribbean nation.
According to Tsai, Straker is a firm friend of Taiwan and it is a great pleasure to welcome him back following his previous visit in May 2016 for her and Vice President Chen Chien-jen’s inauguration ceremony. Taiwan and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have made significant headway since then in joint programs spanning agriculture, education, information and communication technology, infrastructure development, medical care and youth counseling, she said.
Tsai also cited last month’s signing of the bilateral Agreement on the Capacity Building Project for the Prevention and Control of Diabetes in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Overseen by International Development and Cooperation Fund (TaiwanICDF) and supported by Mackay Memorial Hospital, the pact represents the first time TaiwanICDF and a domestic medical institution have teamed up on such a project.
The groundbreaking initiative in Central and South America will strengthen diabetes prevention and treatment, as well as foster closer relations between Taiwan and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tsai said. It will give further momentum to Taiwan’s medical diplomacy, she added.
Two days before Straker met with Tsai, Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu awarded him the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon during a ceremony at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei.
The government is sincerely grateful for Straker’s longstanding contributions to advancing bilateral ties and open backing of Taiwan’s participation in international organizations during high-profile gatherings like the U.N. General Assembly, Wu said.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is an important partner of Taiwan and it is anticipated the two sides will continue working closely together for mutual benefits and shared prosperity, he added. (JSM)
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