TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Saint Lucia Ambassador Robert Kennedy Lewis pledged to continue to deepen friendship with the government and people of Taiwan during a celebration marking 44 years of Saint Lucian independence on Wednesday (Feb. 23).
Kennedy said Taiwan has become one of Saint Lucia’s biggest benefactors in the last 20 years. Taiwan has been “a trusted and reliable ally,” he said, pointing to joint programs in agriculture, education, health, sports, business and commerce, youth unemployment, and entrepreneurship.
He quoted Saint Lucian diplomat Nancy Nicholas as saying that “Taiwan's strong and principled diplomacy can always be depended on to help us paddle our ships of state out of the murky waters of complex threats to our socio-economic security.”
Kennedy said bilateral ties are based on “mutual respect, collaboration, and cooperation.” The two nations are known for their friendly peoples and embrace the rule of law, democratic traditions, individual liberties, and a sense of fairness, he said.
Taiwan is always eager to share its knowledge and experience with the rest of the world, the ambassador said. “Saint Lucia will continue to clamor and agitate at every international gathering and forum for the inclusion of Taiwan in the decision-making of our planet,” he said.
Kennedy vowed that his country will continue to respect Taiwan’s right to sovereignty and the right of Taiwanese to choose their leaders and how they are governed.
He praised Sir George Charles, founder of the Saint Lucia Labour Party and former Chief Minister of Saint Lucia, and Sir John Compton, the first prime minister of Saint Lucia, as “national heroes” who “set the nation on a journey from colonization to independence.”
Despite the hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Saint Lucians came out “stronger and more resilient,” Kennedy said. He describes his fellow nationals as “daring people” who “have learned to be determined in our fight for the values we cherish and for the things we hope for.”
“We are not daunted by any challenge presented to us,” he said.
Saint Lucia gained its independence from the U.K. on Feb. 22, 1979. This year’s theme is “Douvan Ansanm; One People. Shaping our destiny.”
Taiwan and Saint Lucia first established diplomatic relations in 1984 and then again in 2007.
