TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Saint Lucia Minister of External Affairs, International Trade and Civil Aviation Alva R. Baptiste on Monday (March 13) reaffirmed ties with Taiwan.

Baptiste, who is visiting Taiwan, said he is here to “renew our commitment to our bilateral relations.” The opening of its embassy in 2015 is a “mark of respect” and proves that Saint Lucia is “here to develop true friendship,” Baptiste said.

Saint Lucia cooperates with Taiwan and helps it participate in international organizations, he said. At the U.N. General Assembly, Saint Lucia’s vocal support is “a clear manifestation of our level of interest in seeing Taiwan participate meaningfully in international theaters,” the foreign minister said.

Baptiste told Taiwan News that his country has been hit hard by many challenges over the decades, including ones related to the economy and climate change. As a result, there has been a decline in official development and climate change has decimated many aspects of Saint Lucian society, he said.

Therefore, international cooperation is vital for a “small, open, and vulnerable economy” like Saint Lucia to survive and prosper. “It is only through international cooperation where countries large and small can cooperate under their respective mandates to bring about change,” he said.

This is why partnering with Taiwan is such a big deal, Baptiste argued. Taiwan has intervened directly and improved the quality of life for everyone in Saint Lucia, he said.

There is a personal relationship between Taiwan and the people of Saint Lucia, Baptiste said, adding that “it will be very difficult to break that bond of friendship.”

In response to Taiwan’s call to defend freedom and democracy against expanding authoritarianism, Saint Lucia has “undoubtedly” followed suit, Baptiste said. He said his country allows people to “say whatever they want and without being tortured for honest opinion.”

Even those who spread propaganda and criticize the nation, the government allows them to do it, he said. He noted that freedom of speech has been utilized as a weapon, but recommended that “we must never focus on the negatives of that freedom of expression.”

Baptiste emphasized that a major goal of Prime Minister Philip J. Pirre is to have people “gainfully employed,” which is why it recently launched the Youth Economy Programme.

The program aims to offer Saint Lucian youth the opportunity to participate in the economy and open up new avenues for economic growth and development, he said. It also allows young people to “sit around the table as equal and valuable partners in the development of our country.”

The foreign minister said Saint Lucia is developing a partnership with the people and government of Taiwan and urged more bilateral investment and exchanges to bolster friendship.

Additionally, Minister for Youth Development and Sports Kenson J. Casimir said that the Youth Economy Programme allows young Saint Lucians with innovative ideas an easier way of getting startup funds by providing soft loans “interest free and hassle free.”

He expressed gratitude to Taiwan for donating funds to the program early on before it was officially launched.

Casimir also said his ministry has established a platform called Skill 758, which lets individuals with qualifications upload their resume and certification online, thus giving the government “an idea on what our skill component is in Saint Lucia, and what we need to work on.”

The platform helps the ministry identify gaps in education, where it can swoop in and provide training for individuals who desire to be certified in a particular field, Casimir said.

Baptiste’s delegation, which also includes Senator Lisa C. Jawahir, arrived on Monday (March 13) and has already met with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). Baptiste and Tsai oversaw the signing of a bilateral agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters at the Presidential Office.

The delegation is scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and visit the Civil Aeronautics Administration and Taiwan External Trade Development Council, per the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The group is scheduled to depart on Friday (March 17).