President Tsai meets Saint Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet
During their meeting on the morning of October 8, President Tsai Ing-wen thanked Saint Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet for continuing to speak up on Taiwan's behalf at the UN General Assembly this year. She also expressed hope that Taiwan and Saint Lucia can continue to uphold the spirit of mutual assistance for mutual benefits and explore new areas of cooperation to increase the wellbeing of people in both countries.
A translation of the president's remarks follows:
I am delighted to be able to receive you in the Presidential Office so soon after my visit to your beautiful country in July. On behalf of the people of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I would like to extend a warm welcome.
This year, professional dancers from Saint Lucia will be leading students studying in Taiwan in our National Day parade, showcasing how the people of Saint Lucia built their country. Their performance will highlight our close friendship and our determination to pursue a brighter future together.
When visiting Saint Lucia in July, I gained firsthand knowledge about our bilateral cooperation projects and witnessed the fruits of our efforts. Prime Minister Chastanet and I also visited a banana export collection center and packaged some bananas together.
That day, I witnessed how Saint Lucian farmers and our agricultural technical mission colleagues have become close friends and work well together.
Many farmers say that this project has substantially improved their lives. Prime Minister Chastanet has called bananas "green gold" due to their contributions to Saint Lucia's economy and said the bananas are "great (讚)" in Mandarin.
Saint Lucia is currently the only country in the Eastern Caribbean capable of exporting bananas to Europe. I am confident that, as we work hand in hand, we will realize even more laudable achievements.
During the trip, I also got a better understanding of the Saint Jude Hospital Reconstruction Project and the Government Island Wide Network project. These projects will surely drive the development of Saint Lucia's overall economy and create many opportunities for local contractors, as well as high-quality jobs for Saint Lucians.
On the international front, Taiwan still faces many forms of suppression from China. Therefore, I want to especially thank Prime Minister Chastanet for continuing to speak up on Taiwan's behalf and support our international participation at the UN General Assembly this year.
I am sure that Taiwan and Saint Lucia can continue to uphold the spirit of mutual assistance for mutual benefits and explore more areas of cooperation, thereby benefiting both our peoples. In closing, I want to wish our guests a pleasant and fruitful trip!
Prime Minister Chastanet then delivered remarks, and said he was honored to be in Taiwan again for his fourth visit, and that Saint Lucia appreciates the many kinds of support it receives from the government and citizens of Taiwan. The prime minister mentioned that during President Tsai's visit to Saint Lucia this past July, she visited many cooperation projects between the two countries. Taiwan and Saint Lucia, he said, have a sincere friendship, and the governments in both countries are doing everything they can to solidify the bilateral relationship, and he hopes to strengthen cultural exchanges in the future. He also expressed hope that Taiwanese enterprises can make good use of Saint Lucia's advantageous geographic location, and increase investment in Saint Lucia. He then said that Saint Lucia will continue to fully support Taiwan's international participation, and hopes that both countries can further deepen bilateral cooperation providing mutual assistance for mutual benefits.
The delegation also included Senate President Jeannine Giraudy-McIntyre and Minister for Infrastructure, Ports, Energy and Labour Stephenson King.