The 45th anniversary celebration of Saint Lucia's independence was commemorated with a cocktail reception on Thursday. Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) graced the occasion and conveyed Taiwan's congratulations to Saint Lucia's government and people.
In his speech, Wu underscored the cooperation between Taiwan and Saint Lucia since 2007 which spans across various sectors including education, agriculture, public health, and women's empowerment. He highlighted the joint scholarship programs in particular for cultivating the next generation of outstanding young people. Wu also thanked Saint Lucia for its support of Taiwan on the international stage.
Ambassador Robert Kennedy Lewis responded, saying St. Lucia is Taiwan's staunch friend in the Caribbean and thanked President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) for supporting Saint Lucia's social development during her eight years in office. He pointed out that the close collaboration in the various fields reflects the firm friendship between the two countries. He expects Saint Lucia and Taiwan to only continue to deepen cooperation and exchanges in the future.
Lewis emphasized that Saint Lucia and Taiwan share the universal values of freedom and democracy. He congratulated Taiwan on successfully completing its recent presidential elections, saying that this once again demonstrates that Taiwan is a model democratic country.