 I feel indeed honored to be part of this collaborative effort between countries of such varying backgrounds. I am especially intrigued by the fact that although known for innovative advances in healthcare and industry, the people of Taiwan have chosen to help us solutions to succeed in our efforts to improve the health and the health outcomes of solutions with diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. For decades, non-communicable diseases have contributed significantly to mortality in Senutia. In our recently completed Steps Behavioral Risk Factor Survey in 2020, the prevalence of NCD metabolic risk factors such as obesity and raised blood pressure was concerning. With 65% of the representative sample of solutions aged 18 to 69 years being overweight or obese, while 37.3% without a prior diagnosis of hypertension will found to have raised blood pressure. Additionally, our survey results indicated that the percentage of individuals with three or more risk factors for developing major NCDs was 35.4% of the sample population. Given these statistics and acknowledging the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the adequate management and control of NCDs, the mortality associated with NCDs seems very likely to rise. We must act and act now and act quickly. Over the years, the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs has sought to target the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases and their risk factors through various interventions. One such intervention has been the Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, CDSMP, which was started in 2016 through collaborative efforts with the Pan-American Health Organization, OPAHO. Despite best efforts, particularly due to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have not achieved the desired and, dare I say, needed coverage. This bilateral collaboration will allow for the strengthening of the existing efforts as we aim to provide self-management training for every patient diagnosed with a chronic disease, particularly metabolic chronic diseases like diabetes. In September 2022, recognizing the need for the promotion of physical activity within our population, the Ministry launched the SELUSHA Moves Initiative as part of our National Wellness Drive to Target NCDs and their risk factors. SELUSHA Moves will promote the adoption of increased levels of age-appropriate physical activity as well as healthy eating and health checks. In many senses, this four-year public health bilateral capacity-building project for the prevention and control of metabolic chronic diseases could not have come at a better time. As the overall aim of this project is to reduce modifiable risk factors such as insufficient physical activity and unhealthy diets for non-communicable diseases through the creation of an environment which promotes health. This environment will be created through capacity-building, which will involve various stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations, hospitals, communities, and primary health care. We are confident that this project will improve the coverage and effectiveness of our current programs and that it will assist in strengthening the care and management system for metabolic chronic diseases in SELUSHA. Ladies and gentlemen, I invite you to witness and applaud the auspicious signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Republic of China, Taiwan, and SELUSHA as we forge ahead in improving the health of all SELUSHAs. Thank you. This memorandum of understanding here today brings a beacon of hope in light of what has been presented by our eloquent Dr. Sirre. And to say that we do look forward with a lot of anticipation and eagerness to the success of this collaborative effort. It does fit into our strategic objective within the Ministry, which is of course the phased implementation of universal health coverage. And of course the overall objective of the implementation of the UHC would be to improve our national health profile to allow for greater accessibility to health care, affordability, and of course to improve the quality of health care delivery, service delivery, which is provided. So this collaborative effort, which is symbolized by our memorandum of understanding here this afternoon, is very much a central and integral part of our vision for the Ministry, our vision for health care reform, and our vision for a healthier, well-settled population, which would be a lot more resilient to, you know, disasters, pandemics, such as what we experienced over the last two to three years. So I would like to take this opportunity to thank the government and people of the Republic of China on Taiwan for their initiative and for their assistance in putting together this program, and of course the future assistance, which will be provided to us through this collaborative effort. I wish to thank Dr. Belma George, CMO, and her team for working with the government of Taiwan in ensuring that our persons, our health care practitioners, access this very important training. And we look towards the strengthening of our overall health sector so that in the future, when our children or grandchildren present the figures, they do not sound like what Dr. Siro presented here today. I look forward to this and I thank you everyone. Thank you very much. Our presence here today is to signal the start of tangible steps into improving the health of our people with the signing of this MOU, with the mandate of preventing and controlling metabolic chronic diseases. Now while I must confess that our public diplomacy efforts are yet to reach the lofty heights which we would idealize, the role of the Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation, and diaspora affairs in bringing life into that crucial nexus between national development goals and international development assistance is essential. And when we invest into the maintenance of our relationships with friends like Taiwan, it is always warming to see it bear fruit. Ladies and gentlemen, and I do not speak care of the low-hanging fruits of immediate gratification, which are often embedded in programs incoherent with our development goals. But rather, those of long-term benefits, those which feed into sustainable development goals, those which, like the coconut, wrenches our hearts so we can continue to pump energy and dynamism into the complex web of development. Ladies and gentlemen, the health sector remains a priority for the government of St. Lucia, and concerns about our health affairs also dominate our social commentary. And while we work ardently to bolster the capacity of our health sector, I think it helps tremendously to have a healthier population. So we are the Ministry of External Affairs Embrace this initiative, which appeals to the very sustenance of our people, our health, as the health of a nation is vital to its productivity. And we thank the government of Taiwan immensely for yet another act which is in consonance with the international development agenda, namely developing and improving the lives of the people of St. Lucia. It is also congruent with the larger vision of the government of the day, which is to put the people first. Ladies and gentlemen, non-communicable diseases occupy an alarming percentage, as you heard of mortality statistics in St. Lucia. And the social scientist in me is compelled to comment that there may very well be significance in the impact of frail health on the economic development of a nation. I do not want to caught any controversy, but I can tell you from my experience as a permanent secretary how quickly the work agenda of the day can be derailed by a few sick leave notes. But I am blessed in that at the ministry we have competence in abundance, which can overflow to fill the void left on any given day. St. Lucia welcomes the expertise of Taiwan in this very timely manner, as it will undoubtedly support the vision and the work of the Ministry of Health and Wellness. It is often argued that health is not a focus until sickness comes in, and therefore it brought me great joy when perusing this agreement to notice the marked presence of efforts to prevent chronic illnesses. It is my hope that the success of initiatives like this one will be reflected in an increase in the life expectancy of our people, notwithstanding the implications which this may have on our social policies. In closing, let me on behalf of the governments and people of St. Lucia extend heartfelt gratitude to the government and people of Taiwan for their continued efforts in building the capacity of our country. Today, on behalf of the government of the Republic of China, Taiwan, I am very happy and honored to be here and to sign the memorandum of understanding between Taiwan and St. Lucia on the capacity-building project for the prevention and control of metabolic chronic disease in St. Lucia. Through this MOU, Taiwan Embassy along with Ministry of Health, Taiwan ICDF and Taiwan's Casay General Hospital were kicked off the very first nationwide and four-year term public health project in St. Lucia. Working closely with communities and medical specialists, this project aims to strengthen the capacity of health system in prevention and control of non-communicable disease, NCDS, with holistic strategy. This MOU not only represents a milestone of bilateral cooperation between Taiwan and St. Lucia, but also sets the foundation for stronger connection and partnership of our two countries. As a reliable development partner, Taiwan has forged a robust collaborative relationship with St. Lucia government on medical and public health issues. When the world faces the challenges of COVID-19, Taiwan stood with St. Lucia by sharing knowledge, providing medical surprise and vaccine. In post-pandemic era, as NCDS posed enormous threat against people's livelihood, Taiwan remains firm and resolute in the commitment to St. Lucia, just as we always did. And here, I would like to recognize the efforts and support of Honorable Minister Moses Jean-Baptiste and his team and colleagues from Ministry of External Affairs. Your hard work and dedication to our shared goals have made this possible. And I look forward to working with everyone here today for healthier, happier and stronger people and community in St. Lucia. Thank you. Let me just say that it is our solemn responsibility to preserve the longevity of our generation and the enduring health of the future generation. So, therefore, it gives me great pleasure to be part of this special occasion. Today marks yet another opportunity to partner with the officials and our friends from Taiwan as we target one of our greatest challenges to socio-economic development, the burden on health posed by noncommunicable diseases. We often say NCDs. For many years, diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases have claimed the majority of lives lost in our island St. Lucia. Despite our efforts, NCDs, and particularly metabolic NCDs, including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, continue to plague the lives and livelihoods in most St. Lucia households. The unsustainable NCD trend must be met with effective action if we are to preserve the lives and productivity of our nation. The Republic of China and Taiwan has over the years proven to be a leader in innovative technologies within multiple sectors, including agriculture and health. For decades, Taiwan has explored the benefits of new health strategies and has provided support to other countries like St. Lucia through technical cooperation, human resource development, education and training. These initiatives have produced gains such as improved food security, income generation and increased resilience to natural disasters. Within the health sector, Taiwan's assistance and cooperation have strengthened our health sector, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Taiwanese government and the people of Taiwan assisted us through the donation of essential vaccines, respiratory biomedical equipment, personal protective equipment, PPEs and pharmaceuticals. The Public Health Bilateral Capacity Building Project for the prevention and control of metabolic chronic diseases forms part of the framework agreement on technical cooperation between the Republic of China and Taiwan and St. Lucia. The overall aim of this project is to reduce modifiable risk factors for non-communicable diseases such as insufficient physical activity and unhealthy diets through the creation of health-promoting environments thus improving NCD primary and secondary prevention. The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Early Affairs is grateful for the support from experts in the field of disease prevention and control. We look forward to the gains which will be achieved through our collaboration. This memorandum of understanding is just the beginning of greater things to come in the area of non-communicable disease prevention and control. This collaboration will encourage health educators, nurses, doctors, hospital staff, non-governmental organizations and policymakers to be part of the solution to problems posed by NCDs. There will be an opportunity for targeted dialogue and expert training in the field of health promotion, self-management, prevention and control of diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. Over the next four years, we will work together to lessen the burden posed by these diseases. We will aim to lessen the negative impacts of metabolic non-communicable diseases on our population. This collaboration will enhance the efforts by the government of St. Lucia to create better healthcare for the people. I thank you and I look forward to the activities which will come out of this MOU ambassador. Thank you very much.