Alexander Tah-ray Yui
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
February 16, 2022
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Ladies and gentlemen:
I am very pleased to host this luncheon in honor of Minister Peters, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time. It was a privilege to have Minister Peters speak at the Empower Women! Empower LAC! Forum. I thank her for making such a valuable contribution to the event and hope that her stay in Taiwan has been equally rewarding.
Minister Peters is a role model for women’s empowerment. She became Senator and Minister of State with responsibility for foreign affairs in November 2020 and the first female Foreign Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in August last year. I would like to congratulate Minister Peters for her outstanding achievements.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1981, the friendship between Taiwan and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has yielded fruitful results for both countries. Joint development projects in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have proceeded smoothly and in alignment with its national development goals. We have made great progress in the fields of infrastructure, agriculture, health, ICT, women’s empowerment, education, and human resources. I firmly believe that the robust partnership between our nations will continue to flourish in years to come.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to Prime Minister Gonsalves and his government for backing Taiwan’s campaigns for meaningful participation in the UN, the WHA, the UNFCCC, and INTERPOL. The Taiwanese people are committed to safeguarding their freedom and democracy, asserting their right to international participation, and fighting injustice and unfair treatment. It gives us strength and encouragement to know that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will stand by us and speak up for us.
Allow me also to congratulate Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for becoming the first Caribbean country to hold the pro tempore presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. I am confident that under the leadership of Prime Minister Gonsalves and Minister Peters, the Vincentian presidency of CELAC will further raise the standing of your great country on the international stage. Taiwan looks forward to enhancing coordination and cooperation with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines during your presidency to promote our common goals.
In working together, there is much potential for our governments to further contribute to the well-being and happiness of our peoples. Taiwan has committed to providing an additional 10 scholarships to Vincentian students for each of the next three years. Moreover, we are matchmaking our higher education institutions with Vincentian community colleges and working toward establishing joint degree programs. We are also looking into the possibility of organizing a team to visit Kingstown to assess potential cooperation on port modernization. I am very pleased to see such smooth and friendly cooperation. By working together, we can achieve new heights in our partnership.
With that, I invite you to join me in a toast: to Minister Peters; to the continued health, happiness, and prosperity of the people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; and to the enduring friendship between our two countries. Cheers!