TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Long-term Taiwan diplomatic ally Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will establish its first embassy in the country in August, when Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves visits Taiwan.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday (July 18) announced that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will set up an embassy in Taipei's neighborhood, the first time the country has had an embassy in Taiwan. Once the embassy is completed, all 17 of Taiwan's remaining diplomatic allies will have an official embassy in the country.

According to local media reports on Saint Vincent, Gonsalves has selected a woman to serve as ambassador to Taiwan, but has yet to reveal her name. Gonsalves will lead a delegation to Taiwan in August, when his country will officially establish its embassy in Taiwan, reported CNA.

At a press conference on Thursday, Vivia Chang (張俊菲), deputy head of MOFA's Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs, said that St. Vincent's parliament has approved the budget for the establishment of an embassy in Taiwan. The country's new embassy is expected to be located in the special embassy district of Tianmu, and MOFA will provide the necessary administrative assistance for its establishment, reported CNA.

On Tuesday (July 16) Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) visited St. Vincent as part of her "Journey of Freedom, Democracy and Sustainability" tour of four Caribbean allies. During her trip to St. Vincent, she addressed the country's parliament, the second Taiwanese president to do so.

During her speech, she thanked the country for its support of Taiwan's international participation, especially Luke Browne, the minister of Health and the Environment for the Caribbean island group. Browne said at the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May that “the interests of Taiwan's 23 million people should not be held ransom by political preferences.”

Tsai also welcomed the decision made by the government of St. Vincent to establish an embassy in Taiwan, saying that Taiwanese welcome their Vincentian friends with open arms. “I am confident this new embassy will lead to new opportunities for cooperation and even stronger friendship between our countries,” she added.

St. Vincent has been a diplomatic ally of Taiwan since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1981. Taiwan set up its first embassy in Kingstown, St. Vincent's capital, in 1983.