Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday is expected to arrive in Taiwan on Tuesday at the head of an official delegation as the two countries mark 45 years of diplomatic relations.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is among a handful of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries with diplomatic relations with Taiwan that China regards as a renegade province and as been urging countries to accept ist ‘One China’ policy.
A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister said that Dr. Friday will participate in events commemorating the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries that were established on August. 15, 1981.
It said that a major highlight of the visit will be an audience with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, during which the two leaders will discuss the longstanding relationship between the two countries and opportunities to deepen cooperation.
Prime Minister Friday will attend a luncheon with the Vincentian community in Taiwan and that the visit will have a strong economic focus, including an investor roundtable bringing together the Vincentian delegation and prospective Taiwanese investors.
Friday said that the visit presents an opportunity to honour a friendship that has spanned almost the entire existence of St. Vincent and the Grenadines as an independent nation, while giving renewed attention to what the relationship can deliver in the years ahead.
‘Forty-five years is an important milestone, but this visit is also about looking forward. We value the friendship that has developed between our countries, and we now have an opportunity to build on that foundation in ways that create greater opportunities for our people and support the development of St Vincent and the Grenadines,’ he said.
The delegation includes the Prime Minister’s wife, Mrs. Ave Friday; Attorney General Louise Mitchell; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Foreign Investments and Diaspora Affairs, Dwight Fitzgerald Bramble as well as the Ambassador for Finance, Climate and Investment, Kevin Hope.