St Kitts and Nevis shares common values with Taiwan, says Mark Brantley

New York, US: Taiwan and St Kitts and Nevis have a strong relation, lauded Foreign Minister Mark Brantley during an interview in the US, he added that when the Federation of St Christopher and Nevis became independent on the 19th September 1983, Taiwan was the first country to recognize and formalize diplomatic relations. “St Kitts and Nevis had well over three decades of relations with Taiwan and Taiwan has been there to assist us in every facet, in education, health care and IT,” he added. Brantley said that the people of Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic have been there for St Kitts and Nevis. He termed the relationship as a “consistent one” and one which is mutually beneficial. Being asked that many small island nations have switched their sides to China, were St Kitts and Nevis persuaded, Foreign Minister said that there’s always a pressure and diplomatic efforts on all sides, “but we feel that we have shared values with the government and people of Taiwan. We’ve had a long tradition as I have explained and we feel it is a relationship that has borne fruit for us.” “It is about long-term partnerships and our diplomacy has always been based on long-term partnerships not short-term gains and so our approach is that we have a long-term relationship with Taiwan spanning the full period of our independence and that relationship is an excellent one and so that is why we have said that they are not just a friend, they have been our best friend,” Brantley asserted. India and St Kitts and Nevis Mark Brantley thanked the government and people of India, especially Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he expressed interest towards the Caribbean more closely and offered vaccines to the Caribbean while India itself was suffering the ravages of COVID-19.“Prime Minister signalled a new approach between the Caribbean and India and in the height of this pandemic even as India at self was suffering the ravages of COVID-19, we were very impressed that he came forward and offered us vaccines and those vaccines allowed us in St Kitts and Nevis and most of the Caribbean to commence the vaccination process.” Brantley mentioned the term, “None of us is safe until all of is safe” from the COVID-19 virus. “Since vaccination now provides the best mechanism available to us to fight against the virus then the vaccine availability and a vaccine parity are going to be critical.” As India is now again offering vaccines, Premier expressed that they are grateful to see that happen and not only in the Caribbean but of course in other areas of the world like Africa and elsewhere where vaccines are still critical. He added that Indians and all others are very well welcomed to St Kitts and Nevis. “The truth is that the Indian people are not only highly educated but we have found that they are very business-oriented. US and the Caribbean Foreign Minister expressed that the US has taken a renewed interest in the Caribbean under the Biden administration. “In fact, within first few months, we were able to meet with Secretary of State Blinken at a very high level (meeting) of the US government.” He also boasted that Alexander Hamilton was born in Nevis Island and so he was the first Secretary of the Treasury, so that umbilical cord stretches back centuries. Climate Change Mark Brantley emphasized that the Caribbean is being asked to cash a check that it did not write as they are the lowest emitters. “we are the smallest contributors to this problem and yet we are the ones who face an existential threat.” Low lying countries like the Bahamas where a single meter rise in the ocean will obliterate those countries altogether.“ Most of out infrastructure and economies are based on tourism and hotels are on the beach and they are again most vulnerable to climate change.

St Kitts and Nevis shares common values with Taiwan, says Mark Brantley

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