The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday welcomed a recent pledge by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Prime Minister Godwin Friday that his government would maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Friday, who assumed office in late November last year as the Pacific ally’s leader, made the affirmation during a radio interview, a Vincentian report published on Saturday said.
“Our diplomatic relations with Taiwan remain, as do our relations with all countries with which we have diplomatic ties,” Friday was quoted as saying in the front-page report.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
“We have not changed our position with respect to any country,” he said during an interview on Boom 106.9 FM, the Vincentian reported.
Friday also reassured Vincentian students in Taiwan, many of whom are on scholarships from the Taiwanese government, that their studies would not be affected.
The ministry said in a statement that Taiwan “welcomes and appreciates” the SVG leader’s open pledge to maintain his country’s decades-long relations with Taiwan.
Since Friday assumed office on Nov. 28 last year, he has repeatedly affirmed that SVG’s diplomatic ties with Taiwan would remain unchanged and has maintained close exchanges with Taiwan’s embassy, the ministry said.
It said it would continue close communications with the SVG government to deepen bilateral cooperation for the benefit of both countries’ people.
Taiwan established diplomatic relations with SVG in 1981.
Friday’s New Democratic Party has previously proposed switching recognition from Taipei to Beijing, although he did not publicly address the issue during the campaign.
He was sworn in after the party won 14 of the 15 parliamentary seats in November’s general election, ending former Vincentian prime minister Ralph Gonsalves’ 24-year rule.
Taiwan is gearing up to celebrate the New Year at events across the country, headlined by the annual countdown and Taipei 101 fireworks display at midnight. Many of the events are to be livesteamed online. See below for lineups and links: Taipei Taipei’s New Year’s Party 2026 is to begin at 7pm and run until 1am, with the theme “Sailing to the Future.” South Korean girl group KARA is headlining the concert at Taipei City Hall Plaza, with additional performances by Amber An (安心亞), Nick Chou (周湯豪), hip-hop trio Nine One One (玖壹壹), Bii (畢書盡), girl group Genblue (幻藍小熊) and more. The festivities are to
Auckland rang in 2026 with a downtown fireworks display launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, Sky Tower, making it the first major city to greet the new year at a celebration dampened by rain, while crowds in Taipei braved the elements to watch Taipei 101’s display. South Pacific countries are the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks struck midnight in Auckland, with a population of 1.7 million, 18 hours before the famous ball was to drop in New York’s Times Square. The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks launched from the 240m Sky Tower. Smaller community events were canceled across New Zealand’s
‘IRRESPONSIBLE’: Beijing’s constant disruption of the ‘status quo’ in the Taiwan Strait has damaged peace, stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region, MOFA said The Presidential Office yesterday condemned China’s launch of another military drill around Taiwan, saying such actions are a “unilateral provocation” that destabilizes regional peace and stability. China should immediately stop the irresponsible and provocative actions, Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said, after the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) yesterday announced the start of a new round of joint exercises around Taiwan by the army, navy and air force, which it said were approaching “from different directions.” Code-named “Justice Mission 2025,” the exercises would be conducted in the Taiwan Strait and in areas north, southwest, southeast and east of Taiwan
UNDER WAY: The contract for advanced sensor systems would be fulfilled in Florida, and is expected to be completed by June 2031, the Pentagon said Lockheed Martin has been given a contract involving foreign military sales to Taiwan to meet what Washington calls “an urgent operational need” of Taiwan’s air force, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. The contract has a ceiling value of US$328.5 million, with US$157.3 million in foreign military sales funds obligated at the time of award, the Pentagon said in a statement. “This contract provides for the procurement and delivery of 55 Infrared Search and Track Legion Enhanced Sensor Pods, processors, pod containers and processor containers required to meet the urgent operational need of the Taiwan air force,” it said. The contract’s work would be
RSS