President Tsai Ing-wen (???) welcomed Saint Lucia’s new Ambassador to Taiwan Robert Kennedy Lewis Thursday, as he presented his credentials to the president.
At the ceremony, Tsai said Lewis has a doctoral degree in mathematics education and formerly served as education minister, but also has rich political experience after previously being elected to Saint Lucia’s parliament.
Lewis is also an old friend of Taiwan, having visited the country numerous times and believes he can help deepen relations between the two countries, she said.
Over the years, Taiwan and Saint Lucia have engaged in close exchanges and cooperated in areas such as agriculture and education, Tsai said, citing the last time she visited the Caribbean nation in 2019.
In her remarks, the president also asked the new Saint Lucian ambassador to convey her greetings to acting Governor-General of Saint Lucia Errol Charles and Philip J. Pierre, the country’s prime minister.
Lewis, for his part, said he was extremely honored to serve as the new Saint Lucian ambassador to the Republic of China (Taiwan).
The two countries are both island nations known for their friendliness and hospitality, he said, and also share a respect for such common values as rule of law, democracy, freedom, equality and peace.
Meanwhile, the ambassador also thanked Taiwan for providing assistance to Saint Lucia over the past 20 years especially in the fields of agriculture, education, public health, business and corporate services.
Currently, more than 120 Saint Lucian students are studying in Taiwan, he said, expressing hope that the country will continue to provide learning opportunities for the Caribbean nation’s doctors, young scholars, students and other professionals.
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lewis was educated in Britain and New Zealand, where he received his doctoral degree in mathematics education from the University of Otago. Before taking on his new role, Lewis served as Minister for Education, Human Resource Development and Labor and was elected to the House of Assembly of Saint Lucia in 2006.
The Republic of China, the official name of Taiwan, first established diplomatic relations with Saint Lucia in 1984, but ties were severed in 1997 and later restored in 2007.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel