President Ma Ying-jeou met with Nevis Island Premier Joseph Parry of Saint Kitts and Nevis at the Presidential Office on the afternoon of June 12. The president, on behalf of the government of the ROC, extended a cordial welcome to Mr. Parry on his visit to Taiwan.
The president remarked that the ROC and Saint Kitts and Nevis have maintained formal diplomatic relations for over a decade and enjoy close and friendly ties. President Ma noted that this is Mr. Parry's second visit to Taiwan, the first having taken place back in 1992 when he served as tourism minister. The president expressed his hopes that this meeting between the two of them will help promote interaction and understanding, and further strengthen cooperative relations between the two nations. President Ma commented that Nevis Island has attracted international attention lately due to the discovery of geothermal energy sources there, and that this bodes well for the island's economic prospects. The ROC is willing to do all it can to assist Saint Kitts and Nevis in various infrastructure and development projects, adding that he hopes various existing cooperation projects will be further strengthened.
President Ma commented that his administration has aggressively promoted flexible diplomacy since it took office in May of last year. On the one hand, the ROC has sought to strengthen its relations with friendly and allied nations, while on the other hand it has pursued reconciliation with mainland China on the diplomatic front, putting an end to the cycle of each side trying to woo the diplomatic allies of the other. Over the past year, both sides have maintained a more harmonious relationship, which has benefited the ROC in terms of its international relationships and also enabled cross-strait ties to move forward, he said.
The president added that the ROC deeply cherishes its friendship with Saint Kitts and Nevis. In addition to continuing to promote bilateral cooperation projects, the ROC is willing to engage in discussions with Nevis Island Premier Parry on enhancing cooperation and mutual interaction, he said.
Premier Parry was accompanied by Saint Kitts and Nevis Minister of Agriculture Robelto Hector and the nation's Chargé d'Affaires in the ROC Jasmine Elise Huggins to the Presidential Office in the afternoon to meet with President Ma. Also in attendance was Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs David Y. L. Lin.