President Ma Ying-jeou met on the evening of October 25 with St. Christopher and Nevis Prime Minister Denzil L. Douglas, who was making his ninth visit to Taiwan. In addition to welcoming Prime Minister Douglas to Taiwan, the president expressed hope for a bright future for both nations and a lasting alliance.
In remarks, President Ma stated that this year marks the 30th anniversary of St. Christopher and Nevis independence, and is also the 30th anniversary of its establishment of diplomatic relations with the ROC. The president said that the prime minister's decision to visit Taiwan at this time is extremely meaningful for bilateral relations.
President Ma commented that Prime Minister Douglas is a distinguished statesman who has led his nation's government now for 18 years, accomplishing much over that period. In addition to enjoying great popularity, Prime Minister Douglas has also been praised by the International Monetary Fund and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the president said.
Remarking that in August of this year he led a delegation from the ROC to St. Christopher and Nevis, President Ma expressed his deepest appreciation for the warm reception he received during his visit, during which he signed a joint communiqué with Prime Minister Douglas and witnessed the signing of a bilateral extradition treaty by foreign affairs ministers of the two nations, the first treaty between the two countries since the establishment of diplomatic relations. President Ma said he also toured several sites to see firsthand the results of bilateral cooperation, including a new tourism demonstration farm and a solar farm near the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport. The president noted that the solar farm formally went into service on September 18, and is an important part of St. Christopher and Nevis infrastructure. President Ma also stated that close bilateral cooperation in the areas of agriculture, education, culture, information, and communications has also yielded significant results.
The president stated that the ROC strongly hopes to join the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and other international organizations. He noted that Prime Minister Douglas and the representatives to those organizations from St. Christopher and Nevis have spoken vigorously on behalf of Taiwan for many years. The president specifically cited one example, saying that this year Taiwan was invited to send a representative to the ICAO's 38th Assembly in Montreal, Canada as a special guest of the president of the ICAO Council. During the assembly, Richard Oliver Skerritt, the St. Christopher and Nevis Minister of International Trade, Industry, Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Tourism and International Transport, spoke on behalf of the ROC, and was the first representative of an ROC ally at the assembly to do so. In addition, the president remarked, Prime Minister Douglas also expressed support for the ROC in an address on September 27 at the 68th General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly. Prime Minister Douglas mentioned the ROC 14 times in his speech, which the government and people of Taiwan will never forget.
Lastly, President Ma reiterated his welcome to Prime Minister Douglas and called for continued strengthening of the bilateral cooperative relationship, a bright future for the two countries, and a lasting alliance.
Prime Minister Douglas was accompanied to the Presidential Office by St. Christopher and Nevis Ambassador to the ROC Jasmine Elise Huggins to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting were Secretary-General to the President Timothy Chin-Tien Yang (楊進添), National Security Council Advisor Francis Yi-Hua Kan (甘逸驊), and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Shen-Yeaw Ko (柯森耀).