President Tsai Ing-wen is departing July 11 on the Journey of Freedom, Democracy, Sustainability to Haiti, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Lucia, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The 12-day state visit, which includes two U.S. stopovers, is aimed at further strengthening cooperation, exchanges and friendship between Taiwan and the four Caribbean allies, the MOFA said July 1. It also demonstrates the importance the government places on working with like-minded countries in safeguarding shared values and realizing the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, the ministry added.
Tsai’s delegation comprises top officials such as Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu and National Security Council Secretary-General David Tawei Lee, as well as legislators and business representatives. The trip is her first to the region as head of state and seventh abroad since assuming office in May 2016.
The visit gets underway July 13 in Haiti. Tsai will join President Jovenel Moise in opening a Taiwan product exhibition before holding high-level discussions with senior government officials.
Next stop is St. Kitts and Nevis, where Tsai’s four-day stay includes meetings with Governor-General S. W. Tapley Seaton and Prime Minister Timothy S. Harris. She is scheduled to receive the Order of St. Kitts and Nevis for her extensive contributions to advancing bilateral relations.
Upon touching down July 16 in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tsai will hold talks with Prime Minister Ralph E. Gonsalves and address the parliament. The next day, she is expected to arrive in St. Lucia and meet with Governor-General Emmanuel Neville Cenac and Prime Minister Allen M. Chastanet.
Other highlights of Tsai’s trip include attending state banquets, inspecting bilateral cooperation projects, participating in functions for MOFA-Ministry of Education Taiwan Scholarship recipients and alumni, and taking part in consultations with embassy, medical and technical mission staffers.
Tsai and her delegation will return July 22 to Taiwan. (SFC-E)
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