The new prime minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Terrence Drew, has pledged to strengthen his country’s diplomatic ties with Taiwan during a video call with Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (???), according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
Drew’s St. Kitts and Nevis Labour Party won six of the 11 seats contested in the Caribbean country’s Aug. 5 elections to defeat the incumbent ruling coalition and regain power for the first time since 2015.
In Monday night’s call, Drew, who was sworn in on Aug. 6, thanked Taiwan for supporting his country’s infrastructure development for decades and helping it combat the COVID-19 pandemic, MOFA said in a statement Tuesday.
He pledged to do his best to maintain and enhance bilateral diplomatic relations during his time in office, the statement said.
Congratulating Drew on his victory, Wu thanked the Caribbean ally for its long term support for Taiwan’s efforts to join international organizations, and said he looked forward to working closely with the new government to advance bilateral cooperation, MOFA said.
He also invited Drew to visit Taiwan at his earliest convenience.
According to MOFA, Taiwan, officially named the Republic of China, established diplomatic relations with St. Kitts and Nevis within two weeks after the country gained its independence on Sept. 19, 1983, making Taiwan the first country to diplomatically recognize the Caribbean state as an independent country.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel