St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas (L) meets with Taiwan's President, Chen-Shiu-bian at the Presidential Palace in Taipei

“Let us discuss and fashion new agreements that are reflective of the current dispensation and changing times,” Douglas told host President Chen Shui-bian during a courtesy call at the Presidential Palace in Taipei.

Douglas told President Chen that the diplomatic relationship between St Kitts and Nevis and Taiwan has been based on mutual respect for each other as citizens, peoples, governments and countries.

He commended President Chen and his administration for the support in strengthening the relationship through the appointment of a Resident Ambassador to St Kitts and Nevis and the Taiwan’s first female Ambassador, the opening shortly of St Kitts and Nevis’ Embassy in Taipei and President Chen’s first visit to St. Kitts and Nevis last year.

“We express our admiration for your highest regard for good governance the rule of law, respect for human rights inclusive of the rights of citizens of Taiwan to express them selves freely on matters of interest in shaping and strengthening of the Rock’s democracy,” said Douglas, who added that the communiqué must “ensure a stable and peaceful environment in this region and the world.

Douglas gave the assurance that St Kitts and Nevis and Taiwan’s other allies in the Caribbean will provide the necessary support in calling for the recognition of Taiwan as a major player in the pursuance of the appropriate stable environment to achieve global health, global peace and equitable and fair trade for both the developed and developing nations of the world.

In reporting on the progress of the twin-island Federation’s transition out of sugar production and the sale of sugar to Europe for 350 years and the transformation of the national economy, Prime Minister said his St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Government was trying to achieve diversified agriculture in crop farming, livestock farming, fishing and horticulture, especially floriculture.

“We are trying to create a services-oriented economy based on tourism and hospitality and emphasising the obvious linkages between sports and tourism as well as between agriculture and tourism, but we want to do this in a new commercialized environment that will bring real benefits to our people and which will also bring benefits to those from Taiwan who would be working and assisting us in St Kitts and Nevis,” said Douglas.

He said the Caribbean nation was also placing emphasis on information and communications technology as a tool for building up the relatively meager capacity in both the public and private sectors.

Central to this, said Douglas, is the implementation of e-government to make the public administration, a leader in and promoter of technology that will advance the speedy development of this sector.

The Prime Minister identified one of the real challenges to the speedy and successful transformation of the national economy as the current fiscal and economic situation, which, he said, is characterised by high indebtedness and the enormous debt servicing costs and the worsening fiscal imbalance by fluctuating high energy costs and the loss of the traditional agricultural exports.

Chen in response noted that the official visit to Taipei was Douglas’ sixth and his fourth while he is President and praised the St Kitts and Nevis leader for his friendship and the support of St Kitts and Nevis on the international stage.

The Taiwan President recalled his State Visit to St Kitts and Nevis last year and his government’s financial assistance to the construction of the Warner Park Cricket Stadium which hosted a one-day international and a Test between the West Indies and India and the upcoming Cricket World Cup in St Kitts and Nevis next March and the assistance toward the expansion of the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport and other developmental projects.

Chen gave the assurance that the available assistance will be given to St Kitts and Nevis.

Discussions followed during a luncheon hosted by the President in Prime Minister Douglas’ honour and separate Tuesday afternoon meetings with Vice President Her Excellency Annette Lu and Minister of Agriculture, His Excellency Su Jia-chyuan and the Council of Agriculture.

On Wednesday, Douglas and his delegation will hold talks with officials from the International Cooperation Development Fund and the Executive Yuan of the National Science Council.