Saint Lucian Deputy Prime Minister Ernest Hilaire has arrived in Taiwan for a five-day visit to enhance bilateral exchanges, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday.
Hilaire, who also serves as minister for tourism, investment, creative industries, culture and information, arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to a welcome from Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺), MOFA said in a news release.
Hilaire is accompanied on the Taiwan trip by Minister for Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs Emma Hippolyte and Minister for Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment Joachim Andre Henry.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Aside from meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) and attending a banquet to be hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), the Caribbean ally delegation is to also make a trip to the Ministry of Culture and visit local cultural tourism sites, MOFA said.
The Saint Lucian delegates are also set to travel to Kaohsiung for a tour of its world-renowned yacht industry, it added.
Hilaire last visited Taiwan in 2023.
Saint Lucia is one of 12 states worldwide that recognize the Republic of China instead of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Both countries first established diplomatic relations in 1984, but ties were broken in 1997 when the Caribbean country switched recognition from Taipei to Beijing.
In April 2007, Taiwan and Saint Lucia re-established diplomatic relations, and the PRC consequently severed its ties with the latter.
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