Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Timothy Harris yesterday arrived in Taipei to talk about interaction between the two nations and measures to deepen bilateral partnerships.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) greeted Harris at a ceremony that included a 19-gun salute and honor guard.
Saint Kitts and Nevis has recognized Taiwan for 35 years, during which the two nations have worked together on issues such as democracy, human rights and the rule of law, Harris said.
Photo: CNA
Although geographically distant, the two nations have never collaborated closer in the areas of culture, education and science, among others, Harris said.
Harris praised Tsai’s “extraordinary leadership” and said that her election represented true progress in Taiwan’s democratization.
Saint Kitts and Nevis is looking forward to continuing to support and give voice to Taiwan at international events, as it has done for many years, Harris said.
He thanked Tsai on behalf of his nation and said that he would continue to deepen friendly ties, adding that he hoped for cordial and lasting relations between the two nations.
“We hope that in the not-so-distant future, Taiwan could truly and reasonably participate in international affairs,” Harris said.
This is the fourth time that Harris has visited Taiwan since taking office, showing the emphasis he has placed on ties with Taiwan, Tsai said.
Taiwan became the first diplomatic ally of Saint Kitts and Nevis when it was founded in 1983, Tsai said, adding that last year, it sent an honor guard to attend the Caribbean nation’s 35th National Day celebrations.
It was the first time the honor huard had ever set foot on foreign soil to perform, demonstrating the strength of relations between the two nations, Tsai said.
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
RSS