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President Tsai Ing-wen arrived July 16 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on the third leg of her Journey of Freedom, Democracy, Sustainability to Taiwan’s four Caribbean allies, according to the Presidential Office.
 
Upon touching down at Argyle International Airport, Tsai was accompanied by Prime Minister Ralph E. Gonsalves in inspecting a military honor guard.
 
The pair subsequently held discussions at the Prime Minister’s Office on issues of mutual concern, and witnessed the signing of the Agreements on Public Finance Cooperation and Combating Transnational Crime by Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu and Louis Straker, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, trade and commerce.
 
Later the same day, Tsai delivered a speech at the parliament, where she praised cooperation between Taiwan and St. Vincent and the Grenadines as a model in advancing sustainable development.
 
According to the president, bilateral collaboration spans a wide range of areas including agriculture, infrastructure, public health and talent cultivation. She spotlighted the role of the banana revitalization project in advancing food security, and the impact of the diabetes prevention and control program in strengthening medical care and the well-being of the people.
 
These initiatives demonstrate that Taiwan is willing and able to help achieve the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals and make the world a better place for future generations, Tsai said. She also took the opportunity to thank St. Vincent and the Grenadines for its long-term support for Taiwan’s international participation.
 
Other highlights of Tsai’s stay include attending a luncheon with Taiwan Scholarship alumni and new recipients, visiting the Botanical Gardens and touring the Taiwan Technical Mission exhibition.
 
The trip is Tsai’s first to the region as head of state and seventh abroad since assuming office in May 2016. Accompanying officials include Wu, National Security Council Secretary-General David Tawei Lee and Secretary-General to the President Chen Chu. 
 
Tsai and her delegation will travel to St. Lucia and stopover in the U.S. city of Denver, before returning July 22 to Taiwan. (SFC-E)
 
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