NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (May 29, 2019) — Hon. Mark Brantley, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Aviation, and Premier of Nevis, accompanied by Hon. Alexis Jeffers, Deputy Premier bade farewell to Dr. the Hon. Jaushieh Wu, Foreign Affairs Minister of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and his wife Mrs. Ru-Yuh Wu, as they left the Federation via the Vance W. Amory International Airport, on May 29, 2019, at the end of a historic one-day inaugural visit.

Mr. Wu arrived at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport on St. Kitts on May 28th and journeyed to Nevis later that day. In brief remarks at a welcoming ceremony at the KayanJet Longue, the visiting foreign affair minister told Mr. Branley that he was pleased to visit for the first time. He underscored the strong working relationship shared between both countries over the past 35 years.

“Indeed, in the last 35-36 years the relationship between Taiwan and St. Kitts and Nevis have been very strong. We have been working together in all kind of areas – in the area of infrastructure, agriculture, medical attention – in areas like those.

“We will continue to work with St. Kitts and Nevis in the area of capacity building, scholarships etc. to make sure that the development experience of Taiwan can also be shared by St. Kitts and Nevis,” he said.

Mr. Wu also thanked the Federation for its support on the world staged, which his government and people are grateful for.

“We are indebted to St. Kitts and Nevis. The reason is because Taiwan is being isolated internationally, and fortunately, we have a very good friend like Minister Brantley and the country like St. Kitts and Nevis who always speak out on behalf of Taiwan.

“As you said Minister Hamilton spoke out in such large volume in Geneva for Taiwan’s role in the World Health Organization and that is highly appreciated by the Taiwanese people, and I would like to express my appreciation on behalf of Taiwan’s people and the government, to your relentless effort in supporting Taiwan’s international participation… We will continue to explore your beautiful country, and we will continue to work together with you to strengthen our bilateral relationship,” he said.

Mr. Brantley used the opportunity to thank the Republic of China (Taiwan) for its unwavering support to St. Kitts and Nevis.

“Taiwan was the first country to recognise St. Kitts and Nevis when we became independent in 1983 on the 19th of September, and that relationship has grown from strength to strength over those years.

“You have assisted us in terms of security, in terms of the development of our greatest resource which is our human resource, our planning, our health sector, we have benefited in so many ways from this relationship, and we continue to seek to deepen this relationship that we have enjoyed and that we continue to enjoy,” he said.

While on Nevis the visiting diplomat visited the site earmarked for the Pinney’s Recreational Park, a project to be jointly funded by the Nevis Island Administration and the Republic of China (Taiwan).

The Taiwanese official and his entourage from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Republic of China (Taiwan) – Mr. Tah-Ray Yui, Director-General, Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs; Ms. I-Chieh Chou, Senior Secretary, Minister’s Office; Mr. Yi-Cheng Lin, Section Chief, Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs; and  Mr. I-Chung, Liu, Officer, Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs – and His Excellency Tom Lee the Republic of China (Taiwan) Resident Ambassador to St. Kitts and Nevis, were later hosted at an NIA Cabinet Meet and Greet, followed by dinner hosted by Foreign Affairs and Aviation Minister Brantley and his wife Sharon at the Montpelier Plantation Inn.