TAIPEI, Taiwan, Oct 29, CMC – St. Lucia’s Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre Thursday said he hopes to deepen cooperation with Taiwan, including the provisions of more scholarships for St. Lucian students to study in this country.
Pierre, who arrived here on Tuesday for a five-day state visit, said Taiwan and St. Lucia have faced similar challenges during their 19 years of friendship, including the effects of climate change.
Pierre, who made the remarks during a meeting with President Lai Ching-te at the Presidential Office in Taipei, cited an ongoing drought in his country linked to El Niño, that has made it necessary for St. Lucia to develop an extensive rainwater harvesting system.
He said climate change had also made classrooms in St. Lucia increasingly hot, making more comfortable school environments an urgent priority and that his government is modernizing and diversifying agriculture and developing renewable and alternative energy sources amid rising living costs, while hoping to continue exchanging expertise with Taiwan in those areas.
Furthermore, Pierre said education is highly valued in both Taiwan and St. Lucia, adding that the Saint Lucian people are grateful for Taiwan’s continued scholarship support.
“This is why the people of St. Lucia are so appreciative of the scholarships you continue to offer our students. In this regard, we look forward to the expansion of our scholarship programmes and the construction of a modern cultural and creative arts center,” Pierre said.
Pierre said that more than 400 young people from St. Lucia have so far received scholarships from Taiwan to pursue higher education, stressing that people are a country’s most valuable asset.
He thanked Taiwan for its assistance with training, scholarships and infrastructure, expressing the hope that more St. Lucian doctors, young scholars, students and professionals will come to Taiwan to study.
St. Lucia is among a handful of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries that enjoy diplomaic relations with Taiwan that China regards as a renegade province, and Pierre said he hopes closer ties between the two countries would bring greater benefits to their people through concrete projects.
“As we look to the future with great optimism and our desire to make St. Lucia one of the best places to live and work in the Caribbean, I thank you,” he said.
Lai thanked Pierre for his continued support for Taiwan, noting that official and private-sector exchanges between the two countries have grown closer over the past two years.
Lai said that the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) will hold the 19th Taiwan-St. Lucia trade exhibition in St. Lucia next month, with more than 70 local companies expected to participate alongside Taiwanese businesses.
He thanked Pierre for publicly supporting Taiwan’s bid for full membership of the United Nations at the recent U.N. General Assembly session and called for continued cooperation on global challenges, including climate change and public health.
Following their meeting, Lai and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim hosted Pierre and his delegation at a state banquet, with a Presidential Office press release indicating that Prime MInister Pierre has invited Lai to visit St. Lucia.
CMC/kj/ir/2026