Ambassador Lee’s tour of duty ends

Leo Lee, the current Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, has completed his tour of duty and will leave the state next week after two years and three months here.{{more}}

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves made the announcement on Tuesday at Cabinet Room, moments before Lee presented him with a grant of $6,185,389.70 to fund several projects across the country.

Gonsalves lauded Lee’s contribution to the deepening of the 29 years of continuous diplomatic relationship between Kingstown and Taipei.

“It’s not just a question about the manner in which he has facilitated students with the scholarships and increased the number, but [he] was very interested in people to people contact,” Gonsalves said of the diplomat.

Gonsalves said Lee had negotiated special scholarship for Vincentian students to pursue graduate degrees and Mandarin Chinese language programmes in Taiwan.

He also said Lee had strengthened links with the farming community; helping in setting up associations of watermelon and pineapple farmers.

“He is very loved by the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and I am personally sorry to see that he is going. … We can’t hold them with us all the time. He has to fly and go,” the Prime Minister said, referring to the Taiwanese government’s policy of rotating its diplomats.

“He has to advance his own career in the diplomacy and I want to thank him on behalf of the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the tremendous work he has done here to strengthen the relationship between our two countries,” Gonsalves said.

Lee, who is expected to take up a post in the United Sates, thanked Gonsalves for his “kind words”, saying, “It was my honour and privilege to serve here for more than two years and three months.”

He said he will take with him fond memories and friendship, including those he developed with the Prime Minister and his family and other ministers and their families.

Lee also said he has a sense of achievement as the Taiwan Agricultural Mission here was recognised last year by Taipei as Taiwan’s number one performing agricultural mission on an island nation.

The local Taiwanese Embassy was also awarded for “excellent performance”, Lee said.

“So, we have been recognised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei and I am glad that the Prime Minister also recognised our performance here,” he said.

Lee was expected to be toasted by the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a function here last evening, August 12.

Lee is Taiwan’s third resident ambassador to SVG, which along with St. Lucia and St. Kitts/Nevis are the only English-speaking nations that maintain diplomatic relations with the Asian nation. Haiti, Belize and the Dominican Republic also recognise Taiwan as an independent nation.

Both the government and opposition here have expressed strong support for Taipei, even as formal recognition of the Asian capital has dwindled to 23 in the face of Beijing’s growth as an economic power. Beijing considers Taiwan to be a province to be reunited with China. (KXC)