The relationship between Taiwan and Saint Kitts and Nevis remains strong and would continue to grow under Taiwan’s new administration, Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew said yesterday.
Speaking to reporters shortly after his arrival in Taipei, Drew said one of the main purposes of his visit was to meet with President William Lai (賴清德), who was sworn in last month, and signal to him that the diplomatic relations between their two countries remain strong.
“I want to really build on that relationship with the new president, so we can make it an even stronger relationship,” said Drew, who is leading a delegation of officials on his second visit to Taiwan as prime minister.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Embassy of Saint Kitts and Nevis in Taipei said Drew is scheduled to meet with Lai on Monday and attend a national banquet hosted by the president, during the five-day visit.
Drew is also scheduled to visit infrastructure and cultural facilities in Kaohsiung.
On whether Beijing is pressuring his country to switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China, Drew said its relationship with Taiwan “is strong and it does not depend on any other factor, so we are not worried about anything else.”
He said Saint Kitts and Nevis advocates for Taiwan’s representation in international organizations, because it believes that Taiwan has much to contribute.
The exclusion of Taiwan would mean “losing a partner that can contribute significantly in a positive way,” he said, adding that Taiwan has effectively tackled sourcing energy and water and the transformation of information technology, which are global issues.
Meanwhile, the threat of climate change and issues relating to acute weather transformations are areas in which Taiwan and Saint Kitts and Nevis can deepen their bilateral cooperation, he said.
Taiwan could help Saint Kitts and Nevis develop the abundant geothermal energy on the island of Nevis and share its experience in developing other renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, under the Sustainable Island State initiative to battle climate change, Drew said.
Due to rising sea levels, seawater has intruded into the wells of the Caribbean country, he said, adding that as a result, there is a desperate need for desalination, which presents opportunities for Taiwanese businesses, not just in Saint Kitts and Nevis, but in other Caribbean countries.
Investments like that would go a “very long way” and enlarge Taiwan’s footprint in a critical region, he added.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
The Taipei Summer Festival is to begin tomorrow at Dadaocheng Wharf (大稻埕), featuring four themed firework shows and five live music performances throughout the month, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said today. The festival in the city’s Datong District (大同) is to run until Aug. 30, holding firework displays on Wednesdays and the final Saturday of the event. The first show is scheduled for tomorrow, followed by Aug. 13, 20 and 30. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Disney Pixar's movie Toy Story, the festival has partnered with Walt Disney Co (Taiwan) to host a special themed area on
BE CAREFUL: The virus rarely causes severe illness or death, but newborns, older people and those with medical conditions are at risk of more severe illness As more than 7,000 cases of chikungunya fever have been reported in China’s Guangdong Province this year, including 2,892 new cases last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said it is monitoring the situation and considering raising the travel notice level, which might be announced today. The CDC issued a level 1 travel notice, or “watch,” for Guangdong Province on July 22, citing an outbreak in Foshan, a manufacturing hub in the south of the province, that was reported early last month. Between July 27 and Saturday, the province reported 2,892 new cases of chikungunya, reaching a total of 7,716
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
RSS