Preparations are underway to establish The Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania as part of government efforts to strengthen the country’s relations across the board with the EU member state, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs July 20.
Situated in the capital city of Vilnius, the facility is expected to serve as a base for deepening ties between Taiwan and countries in the Baltics and central and eastern Europe, the MOFA said. It will be the country’s first representative office opened in Europe since the one in Slovakia 18 years ago, the ministry added.
The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said in a release the same day that the facility is anticipated as playing a key role in expanding cultural and economic exchanges between the two sides, as well as promoting people-to-people interactions and mutual understanding. Lithuania welcomes more cooperation with Taiwan, and plans to set up a trade office in Taipei before year-end, the LFM added.
According to the MOFA, Taiwan and Lithuania share the fundamental values of freedom, democracy and respect for human rights, with the like-minded partners poised to benefit from enhanced collaboration in areas spanning industry, technology and trade.
Taiwan enjoys strong support for its participation in the World Health Assembly from Lithuanian lawmakers, the MOFA said. This genuine show of warm friendship is sincerely appreciated by all segments of society, as is the recent announced donation of 20,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses, the ministry added.
In a tweet on its official Twitter account, the MOFA said “We’re proud to announce the planned establishment of The Taiwanese Representative Office in #Lithuania. The facility represents real progress in the bilateral relationship & success of efforts to deepen & expand #Taiwan’s ties with countries in the #EU & throughout #Europe.” (SFC-E)
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