Penghu County, Taiwan, May 22, 2016 (SKNIS)—On May 22, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, and his delegation, paid a visit to Magong City, Penghu County, Taiwan, for the first time, where they were warmly welcomed at Magong Airport by Penghu County Magistrate, Kuang-Fu Chen and officials from the Penghu County Government.

The St. Kitts and Nevis delegation was then hosted by the Penghu County Government to an official dinner at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel. Officials at the dinner included Director-General of Tourism Department, Mei-Ling Chen; Director of Civil Affairs Department, Chi-Chuan Hsu; Director of General Affairs Department, Shu-Shan Yun; Director of Economic Affairs Department, Hung Tung-Lin; Director-General of Agriculture and Fishery Bureau, Kao-Liang Chen; Director of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Hui-Shiang Tseng, and Director-General of Fire Bureau, Tien-King Yeh.

In welcoming Prime Minister Harris and his delegation, Mr. Chen said that he hopes that we “will have a very good stay” on the island. “Just like your country, Penghu is also a marine ocean island. We have beautiful coastal life and friendly people.”

Mr. Chen proudly declared that Penghu is a member of the International Organization of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World and will host the congress of the organization in 2018. “We invite you to attend the Congress of the Most Beautiful Bays in 2018,” he said to Prime Minister Harris and his delegation.

The Most Beautiful Bays in the World (MBBW) was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Vannes, France. The organization was founded by Jean Manquat, and is a UNESCO supported NGO tasked with promoting the protection of the natural and cultural resources of the world’s marine bays, including San Franciso Bay, Qingdao Bay and Vietnam’s Halong Bay.

Prime Minister Harris, who led the toast to the people of Penghu, lauded their hospitality.

“I want on behalf of my delegation and I to say how special we feel on this our first visit to Penghu,” Prime Minister Harris said.

“We have always enjoyed the warmth and the hospitality of the people of Taiwan and on this trip there is no exception. The support, the love, the admiration and care have been exceptional so far and we want to congratulate the good people and citizens of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Although we have visited many parts of Taiwan, this is our first visit to Penghu. I hear that Penghu is famous for its beauty, for its beaches and many culinary delights,” he said.

He added: “St. Kitts and Nevis, our home country, has relationships with Taiwan (The Republic of China) going back to 1983. The friendship is very strong and we are happy that we have over the years enjoyed a strong bond between the two governments and between the people of Taiwan and the people of St. Kitts and Nevis. Many of our students are here pursuing studies all over Taiwan. They have become the very able ambassadors of Taiwan at home.”

Prime Minister Harris went on to commend Mr. Chen and his team for working together to bring about the best quality of life for the people of Penghu County.

The St. Kitts and Nevis delegation while in Penghu will visit Penghu National Scenic Area Administration, the Marine Life Propagation Station, Kui Bisan Geological Park, Youth Activity Center of China Youth Corp and the Penghu Fireworks Festival. Areas for cooperation between the two governments will be explored. Like St. Kitts and Nevis, Penghu is pursuing renewable energy in the form of wind energy.

The St. Kitts and Nevis delegation includes Attorney General Honourable Vincent Byron Jr and Mrs. Byron, Premier of Nevis, Honourable Vance Amory and Mrs. Amory; H.E. Jasmine E. Huggins, St. Kitts and Nevis’ Resident Ambassador to Taiwan; and Mr. Lesroy Williams. Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to St. Kitts and Nevis, George Gow Wei Chiou, is accompanying the delegation.

The Penghu or Pescadores Islands are an archipelago of 64 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait. The largest city is Magong, located on the largest island, which is also named Penghu. Covering an area of 141 square kilometers, the archipelago collectively forms Penghu County of Taiwan and is the second smallest county, after Lienchiang. The traditional name of the islands, the Pescadores, comes from the Portuguese name LLhas dos Pecadores (Fishermen Islands).

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Courtesy from SKNIS