Taiwan’s ambassador to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has met with the newly elected prime minister of the Caribbean ally state, Godwin Friday, to convey congratulations from President William Lai (賴清德), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
In a statement, the ministry said Ambassador Fiona Fan (范惠君) delivered Lai’s message during their meeting, and that the prime minister asked her to relay his thanks in return.
The ministry released the statement in response to a media query about the outlook for Taiwan-SVG relations.
Photo: Yang Cheng-yu, Taipei Times
Friday’s New Democratic Party (NDP) has previously proposed switching recognition from Taiwan to Beijing, although the new prime minister did not publicly address the issue during the campaign.
He was sworn in after the NDP won 14 of the 15 parliamentary seats in the general election on Friday last week, ending former SVG prime minister Ralph Gonsalves’ 24-year rule.
At his swearing-in ceremony, Friday called the result a clear mandate for “major, transformational changes” and pledged to work with “every sinew in our body” to deliver on campaign promises, according to Dominica News Online.
Taiwan established diplomatic relations with SVG in 1981.
Separately, the Executive Yuan has approved diplomatic personnel changes, appointing Hsu Wei-ming (徐蔚民), a former deputy representative to Thailand, as the country’s new ambassador to the Marshall Islands.
Hsu, a counselor at the Department of International Organizations, is replacing Steve Hsia (夏季昌), who has served as ambassador since September 2022 and is rotating back to Taipei to work at the ministry, according to the Executive Yuan. Hsu’s former overseas posts include Latvia.
The Marshall Islands is one of 12 countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Taipei instead of Beijing.
Former representative to Malaysia Phoebe Yeh (葉非比) has been appointed as the new representative to Sweden.
Lien Yu-ping (連玉蘋), head of the Department of International Cooperation and Economic Affairs, is to take over as representative to Malaysia, according to the Cabinet.
The move follows former Swedish representative Gu Ruey-sheng’s (谷瑞生) transfer to Germany.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
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The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
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