St. Kitts and Nevis and Taiwan in final negotiations on an extradition treaty

St. Kitts and Nevis’ Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, Hon. Patrice Nisbett, addressing the opening session of the talks on an Extradition Treaty between St. Kitts and Nevis and Taiwan.

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, FEBRUARY 13TH 2012 (CUOPM) – St. Kitts and Nevis’ Attorney General, the Hon. Patrice Nisbett said negotiations which began Monday on an Extradition Treaty with the Republic of China (Taiwan) are timely and would send the right kind of message in promoting respect for justice, security and social integrity.

“Our Government has been an ardent advocate of the constitutional tenets of peace, order and good governance in our relentless pursuit to adhere to the rule of law and the principles of natural justice. We therefore embrace our international partners in an effort to combat crime in both the local and international arena,” said Mr. Nisbett, who is also Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs

In remarks prior to the start on negotiations at the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Attorney General said St. Kitts and Nevis embraces Taiwan as an international partners in an effort to combat crime in both the local and international arena.

“Indeed the changing and complex face of crime in this millennium has clearly demonstrated that in order to thwart the forces of evil we must work collectively to ensure the peace and safety of all our nations. Our Government has undertaken a number of other initiatives to address the incidence of crime at the national and international level,” said Attorney General Nisbett, who added that no initiative at addressing this incidence would be viable without due consideration of the impact of developments in the international community.

He said it has been observed that over the last two or three decades there has been a significant shift in crime which has triggered an international response of bolstering security.

“This has been impacted by the phenomenal concept of globalisation that drives and informs international political, economic and social policy decisions,” said Mr. Nisbett.

Resident Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) His Excellency Miguel Tsao addresses the opening session. (Right to left) the St. Kitts and Nevis delegation – Mr. Senior Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Samuel Berridge; Ms. Allison Isaac; Ms. Karen Hughes; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Legal Affairs, Mrs. Rhyllis Vasquez (hidden) and Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, Hon. Patrice Nisbett.

He said St. Kitts and Nevis is part of the global village and, as such, the porous nature of its borders as a small developing country has heightened the vulnerability to be impacted by certain styles of criminal activities and related developments in the global community.

The St. Kitts and Nevis Attorney General said that strong ties have been forged between the twin-island Federation and Taiwan and both nations have fostered mutual benefits that would continue to redound for the prosperity for all.

He said the negotiations is another encouraging sign of progress as both sides negotiate the final provisions of the Extradition Treaty which is to be implemented by the two countries.

“This Treaty represents another monumental step towards the promotion of strong ties of international cooperation,” said the Attorney General.

Taiwan’s Resident Ambassador His Excellency Miguel Tsao in brief remarks said crime fighting is now an international issue and a global threat.

“No country by itself alone can get rid of the intimidation, threat, presence and danger of crime, and that is why it is of utmost importance to work together to fight this scourge and create a suitable environment for all citizens. I am so elated about the future signing of this Extradition Treaty to help reduce the volume of crime committed in either of our countries,” said Ambassador Tsao adding that he was happy of the strides made by St. Kitts and Nevis in reducing crime in recent times.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative, Mr. Jen-liang Huang; Political Counsel, Mr. Joseph Chang; Prosecutor Mr. Ju-chang Yu in the Ministry of Justice, and Ambassador Miguel Tsao.

He pointed out that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is an island country located in the Western Pacific, looming large in foreign trade.

“Without trade, we couldn’t subsist. One of the most indispensible pre-requisite to create and sustain trade is security. In this regard, we can indeed say that we need to cooperate with friendly countries to reach our goals,” said Ambassador Tsao.

He said hammering out the Treaty of Extradition will bode well for cracking down on crime, as it means an improvement in security.

“The discussions between both sides will seek to organize a task force as the first step to inking our Treaty,” he said at the start of negotiations.

The visiting delegation from the Republic of China (Taiwan) is lead by Prosecutor Mr. Ju-chang Yu in the Ministry of Justice, and the Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Jen-liang Huang and Political Counsel in the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

St. Kitts and Nevis’ delegation is led by Senior Parliamentary Counsel, Mr. Israel Mukasa, Parliamentary Counsels, Ms. Karen Hughes and Ms. Allison Isaac and Senior Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Samuel Berridge.