Following a recent official visit to Taiwan, a St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Major St Clair Leacock reported significant progress in securing bilateral support across various sectors.
The delegation, which included Minister of Education and Digital Transformation Lavon King and Minister of Social Welfare and National Heritage Shevern John, met with Taiwanese President Lai and Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung.
During the visit, the New Democratic Party (NDP) administration emphasized economic diplomacy, focusing on the event economy, agriculture, tourism, the blue economy, and the new economy.
Deputy Prime Minister Leacock made a direct appeal to President Lai for Taiwan to assist SVG in establishing a Constituency Development Fund, noting that Taiwan currently provides similar budgetary support to St. Lucia.
On the national security front, the delegation visited Taiwan’s National Police Agency, National Security Bureau, and Criminal Investigation Bureau.
Leacock requested hardware and vehicles to assist the SVG police force, the cadet force, and the national commission on crime prevention.
In response, Taiwan has invited several SVG police officers and national security personnel to participate in training initiatives this year. The entire trip was fully funded by the Taiwanese government, at no cost to SVG taxpayers