Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

On the morning of February 14, President Tsai Ing-wen met with Keisal Melissa Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Regional Integration and the Diaspora of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In remarks, President Tsai said that Taiwan and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are working together to make the most of opportunities for economic recovery in the post-pandemic era. She added that our countries are jointly engaging in the Women's Empowerment Project (WEP), an initiative which aims to provide even more resources to female entrepreneurs in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and to help working women foster professional skills, thus laying a more solid foundation for people-to-people exchanges.

A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:

This is Minister Peters' first visit to Taiwan, and on this occasion, she has accepted our invitation to share her invaluable experience at tomorrow's Empower Women! Empower LAC! Forum as we seek more opportunities for cooperation across various domains.

Over the years, Taiwan and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have continued to deepen bilateral relations and strengthen our friendship through numerous exchanges. Supporting each other during the pandemic, our countries have achieved excellent results in such areas as infrastructure, agricultural technology, public health and medicine, and education and culture.

Taiwan and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are also working together to make the most of opportunities for post-pandemic economic recovery. Our countries are jointly engaging in the WEP to provide even more resources to female entrepreneurs in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and to help working women foster professional skills. Through these efforts, we are laying a more solid foundation for people-to-people exchanges.

We also hope to continue deepening our cooperation on education and culture. Since 2004, over 200 young Vincentian students have come to Taiwan to study, stimulating even more education and youth exchanges. Starting this year, we are increasing the number of scholarships awarded under the Taiwan Scholarship Program. We welcome more young people from St. Vincent and the Grenadines to study in Taiwan.

I also want to thank St. Vincent and the Grenadines for its longstanding support for Taiwan. Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has spoken out several times on the international stage in support of Taiwan's international participation. These kindhearted gestures have truly touched us all.

In closing, I once again welcome Minister Peters to Taiwan. I look forward to Taiwan and St. Vincent and the Grenadines continuing to deepen bilateral relations and furthering the well-being for our peoples. I wish Minister Peters a smooth and successful visit.

Minister Peters then delivered remarks, first expressing delight at being in Taiwan and meeting with the president this morning. She also thanked the president and her administration for extending the invitation to participate in the Empower Women! Empower LAC! Forum, which begins tomorrow. Minister Peters emphasized that, as she is the first female minister of foreign affairs of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, it means a lot for her to take part in this forum, and described her excitement when Ambassador to St. Vincent and the Grenadines Peter Sha-li Lan (藍夏禮) introduced her to the empower women program. She added that Ambassador Lan also said that President Tsai is looking forward to her participation, and that she is happy to do her part in bringing awareness of this initiative to Vincentian women.

Minister Peters stated that the COVID-19 pandemic affected women and, in the case of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the volcanic eruption of La Soufrière doubled or tripled the impact. Therefore, she pointed out, the rollout of the women's economic empowerment program was timely, and she once again thanked the president and the administration for our continued support as it relates to the economic development of the women of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Minister Peters recalled that when she was growing up, she would always hear about the Republic of China (Taiwan), and that she had friends who benefited from the bursaries that enabled them to go to school and friends who were able to come to Taiwan to pursue a higher education. She underscored that Taiwan has been there for St. Vincent and the Grenadines in every sector, and for that they are truly appreciative. Equally so, she added, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has demonstrated time and time again their continued and unwavering support for the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Minister Peters stated that the education revolution has been a cornerstone of the current administration of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and that therefore she is delighted to hear about the increased number of scholarships that would be awarded in the coming years. In fact, she explained, many students are currently readying themselves to present their applications for the scholarship season that has just opened.

Minister Peters expressed that she is looking forward to meeting the other participants of the forum and interacting with them, sharing the experience of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and learning from the other countries about how they implemented the initiatives that were made possible by the Republic of China (Taiwan). She again thanked the president for extending the invitation, and that she looks forward to a successful forum.

The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador Andrea Clare Bowman.