St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Timothy Harris (A screenshot from U.N.'s YouTube page)

New York, Sept. 27 (CNA) Three Caribbean nations reiterated calls Friday to the United Nations not to exclude Taiwan from the world governing body, as the country is willing and able to contribute to the organization's work, from which many developing countries can benefit.

Speaking on the fourth day of the general debate of the 74th U.N. General Assembly in New York, St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Timothy Harris said relations with Taiwan have been of immense benefit to his country, given its experience and expertise in such areas as technology, renewable energy and healthcare

(Video taken from UN Youtube channel)

"I call upon the United Nations to utilize Taiwan's experienced resources and expertise and to enable other developing nations to benefit," Harris said, adding that Taiwan is always prepared to assist the rest of the global community.

St. Lucia Prime Minister Allen Michael Chastanet also expressed similar views, urging the assembly to not leave any country behind and not to deprive Taiwan of a chance to play an active role in international organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

"We believe that exclusion of active members for political purposes compromises aviation safety and security," he said, stressing that "the participation of small states and all states in various U.N. agencies and processes is critical to achieving our collective goals and we remain true to the agenda's clear call to leave no one behind."

(Video taken from UN Youtube channel)

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines also expressed his support for Taiwan, saying that international cooperation is essential to addressing the vexing challenges of modern globalization and sustainable development.

"Some of our allies, like Taiwan, have been exemplary in offering their perspectives and support to our developmental aspirations, and have proven time and again to be more than deserving of a meaningful role in the specialized agencies and organizations of the United Nations," Gonsalves said.

(Video taken from UN Youtube channel)

Paraguay, which has voiced its support for Taiwan at the U.N. General Assembly since 2012, did not speak for Taiwan this year.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), however, assured that bilateral relations between the two countries remain stable.

MOFA spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) told CNA that the Paraguayan government already delivered a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressing its support for Taiwan to participate in U.N. specialized bodies.

Taiwan cherishes its friendship with Paraguay, she said, adding that the two sides will continue to support each other.

(By Ozzy Yin, Elaine Hou and Ko Lin)
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