On the afternoon of June 15, CY President Chu Chen met with the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Saint Lucia to the Republic of China (Taiwan), Robert K. Lewis. President Chen welcomed Ambassador Lewis, reiterating that Taiwan considers Saint Lucia a staunch partner in the Caribbean region. While the two countries may be distant from one another, she added, they share the same values of democracy and freedom. President Chen also expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Pierre for his speech in support of Taiwan’s international participation during the United Nations General Assembly last year.
President Chen pointed out that Taiwan’s supervisory system has a long history, with CY members remaining nonpartisan and exercising their powers independently through actions such as investigation, impeachment, censure, and proposal of corrective measures whenever the government or public servants violate the law or be derelict in their duties. Furthermore, on August 1, 2020, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was established, with several CY members serving as commissioners working to promote and protect human rights in the event of abuses or violations. President Chen added that Saint Lucia also has its own Ombudsman and expressed her hope for further exchanges and cooperation on ombudsman and human rights issues.
As a former member of parliament, Ambassador Lewis expressed his interest in Taiwan’s supervisory system, given the differences in the governmental and political systems of the two countries, along with his own hope for deeper understanding and exchanges in the future.
President Chen mentioned that Ambassador Lewis is an expert in education, holding a doctoral degree in mathematics education, and has a wealth of political and academic experience. She expects that he will gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s unique history and culture during his tenure in Taiwan and promote further cooperation between the two countries in various aspects.
At this meeting, President Chen was accompanied by CY Vice President Hung-chun Lee, CY Members Sheng-Fong Lin and Yi-jin Yeh, and Secretary-General Judy, Fu-meei Ju. In between delightful conversations, Ambassador Lewis also sampled Taiwanese mangoes and wax apples, experiencing the excellent quality of Taiwanese agricultural products.