Amb. Tien, Chung-kwang
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chancellor of the Institute of
Diplomacy and International Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
April 29, 2021
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Good morning.
I am pleased to be with you today as Deputy Foreign Minister and Chancellor of the Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs to sign this agreement with Ambassador Laurent, who is both Ambassador to the Republic of China (Taiwan) as well as Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Saint Lucia.
Today we mark a significant milestone in the close, cordial relations between our two countries. Our bilateral cooperation, previously centered on agriculture, air services, ICT education, and intelligence, is rising to another level. With this agreement, our diplomatic training academies pledge to promote cooperation on many training programs, including the IDIA's International Symposium for Young Diplomats and the Mandarin Program in Taiwan for Diplomats as well as various seminars, conferences, and exchange visits with other diplomatic academies and think tanks.
This partnership has been more than two years in the making. It germinated from the visit of Saint Lucia's Deputy Foreign Minister Elma Gene Isaac to the IDIA in January 2019. Yet it would not have become a reality without Ambassador Laurent's tireless efforts, and so I would like to express my thanks to you, Ambassador Laurent. I congratulate you on the success of your leadership, insight, and forward-looking vision as the founder of the Diplomatic Academy of Saint Lucia. Saint Lucian diplomats are truly learning from the best.
The signing of this agreement could not be timelier. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a challenge to foreign service organizations worldwide just as much as it has to the public and private sectors overall. It is incumbent upon diplomats to take action, working with other diplomatic training academies to facilitate becoming adaptive and adoptive: adaptive to the new normal and adoptive of new technologies and mindsets. Together, we can and we will excel and prevail.
The partnership between Taiwan and Saint Lucia is today further consolidated, as witnessed by our colleagues and Taiwan's diplomats of tomorrow. As IDIA Chancellor, I will give my full support to our fruitful collaboration, and look forward to the successful implementation of this agreement.
Thank you.