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By Andy Yih-Ping Liu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s most successful state visit to the Caribbean nation of Saint Lucia is truly a landmark achievement in Nigeria diplomacy. We, the people and Government of Taiwan, wholeheartedly congratulate President Tinubu for his visions and concrete actions of extending Nigeria’s connection with the Caribbean island state, just like Taiwan has made diplomatically with St. Lucia.
Taiwan (ROC) and St. Lucia, as well as three other Caribbean island nations, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Haiti, have long established diplomatic relations with full-fledged embassies setting in each other’s capitals. Our diplomatic presence of embassies, together with development and technical aid of medical, agricultural, women and youth empowering, trade and investment strengthening, sustainable development, etc., have truly assisted St. Lucia as well as other Caribbean nations to grow well economically and socially.
During President Tinubu’s visit, we are excited that he toured some facilities jointly developed by the Taiwanese Government and St. Lucian authorities. We’re proud to offer our helping hands that produce fruitful results. We certainly welcome wholeheartedly that Nigeria will also be joining this humanitarian and economic collaborations in the Caribbean area.
We are extremely delighted to witness President Tinubu graciously receiving the conferment of Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia (K.C.O.S.L.) in recognition of his efforts to strengthen ties between Africa and the Caribbean. This has showcased President’s visionary exploration and escalation of Nigeria’s ever-growing international status and his grand movements in deepening the collaboration with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre that President Tinubu met in St. Lucia, visited Taiwan in attending President Ching-Te Lai’s Inauguration ceremony on May 20, 2024. Also, St. Lucia’s Senate President, Madam Alvina Reynolds, that President Tinubu met, visited Taiwan in attending our National Day celebrations on October 10, 2024. All these have demonstrated how cordially the diplomatic relations between Taiwan and St. Lucia have been, and our bilateral co-operations have truly showcased Taiwan is such an indispensable and healthy partner for St. Lucia, as well as other Caribbean nations.
Taiwan (ROC) has survived the heavy pressure from across the Taiwan Strait and flourished outstandingly in the world, by both succeed in democratically and economically on nation building. We the Taiwanese people are privileged to share our advanced know-how and technology to any country globally, so that we can work together in weathering through all sorts of challenges.
It is therefore, once again, we would like to congratulate dearly for President Tinubu’s diplomatic achievement in his landmark state visit to St. Lucia and sincerely express our goodwill for any future strengthening of Nigeria-Taiwan relations, either in this great nation of Nigeria or in our shared diplomatic allies of St Lucia and the Caribbean states.
Taiwan remains humble and ready to share its vast knowledge with Nigeria in various fields of comparative advantages. We would appreciate deeply that President Tinubu and Nigeria to view and regard Taiwan as a most advanced and developed, healthy partner, to build substantial relations, like what we have contributed and collaborated in Saint Lucia.
• Andy Yih-Ping Liu, Taiwan’s Representative/Head of Mission in Nigeria.
