Published 8 November 2022
Basseterre
Buckie Got It, St Kitts and Nevis News Source
Remarks by Prime Minster of St. Kitts and Nevis,
The Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew,
at Military Parade on
Tuesday 8 th November, 2022
Protocol (order of precedence)
It is an honour for me to address you firstly in my capacity as Head of Government of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, after the historic victory of the St. Kitts and Nevis Labour Party at General Elections held on 5 th August, 2022.
My delegation and I are profoundly grateful to you and the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) not only for your warm hospitality, but also the excellent arrangements put in place for the duration of this momentous state visit. This State visit to Taiwan is significant in more ways than one – it strengthens the solid platform built for well over three decades, which allows us to implement projects under the broad rubric of functional cooperation. It also places us at the threshold of a new era of enhanced partnership, where we consider creative solutions to the challenges which threaten to preventing us from achieving our development objectives.
We cannot deny the rich legacy of technical and financial assistance, capacity building, and international advocacy which shaped the contours of our bilateral relationship since we attained our independence in 1983.
Indeed, Madam President, many of our nationals have benefited from scholarships to pursue tertiary education here in Taiwan. Many have returned home, and continue to contribute to national development. While other countries are endowed with rich mineral resources, our people are our resource base. It is therefore prudent for us to continually strive to build our human resource capacity. We are eternally grateful to the Government and people of the Republic of China (Taiwan) for their valuable assistance in achieving this objective.
We are equally grateful for the assistance we receive in agriculture, health care, public infrastructure, ICT, and environmental conservation, to name but a few. As true friends, the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis is always ready to use its influence in international fora to advocate for values and principles which we share with Taiwan.
We therefore have no difficulty in promoting our shared values of democracy, good governance, human rights, and the rule of law.
We believe firmly that Taiwan has a role to play in sustaining a vibran global economy through manufacturing and export of quality goods and services. Taiwan can also contribute to the global effort to find solutions to pandemics, climate change adaptation and mitigation endeavors, disaster preparedness, food and livelihood security, and rapid urbanization.
At the global level, Taiwan has assisted us in achieving sustainable development in all its dimensions.
Goal 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals calls for the building of partnerships to achieve sustainable development. Your track record is impressive. You have proven yourselves to be a true
friend in times of need.
The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis remains committed to sustaining and strengthening the bonds of friendship between our two countries.
We are anxious to meet with stakeholders from government and civil society as we explore possible areas of cooperation aimed at bringing our people together and promoting their advancement.
In September 2023, we will celebrate our 40 th Anniversary of Independence. This coincides with forty years of diplomatic relationship between our two countries. This is a milestone worthy of celebration. I
am certain we will allocate time to initiate discussions on tangible ways to demonstrate our strong partnership during our period of celebration.
