President Lai Ching-te met with delegations from the parliaments of the Netherlands and Estonia Nov. 1 at the Presidential Office in Taipei City, pledging to deepen partnerships with the two countries in addition to expanding cooperation with their fellow EU member states.
This year marks the 400th anniversary of the beginning of Taiwan-Netherlands relations, Lai said while receiving a delegation from the Foreign Trade and Development Committee of the Dutch House of Representatives led by its chair, Aukje de Vries. Both countries value freedom and democracy, the president said, and enjoy close exchanges in areas from renewable energy to semiconductors.
Lai took the opportunity to thank the House of Representative for its support of Taiwan, citing three motions passed earlier this year stressing the importance of cross-strait peace and rejecting China’s attempts to distort U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758. The Dutch government’s decision to dispatch a frigate to transit the Taiwan Strait is also deeply appreciated, he said.
In response, de Vries said that Taiwan and the Netherlands share many commonalities, citing that the vibrant democracies both respect human rights, and take seriously issues such as climate change. She emphasized that it is the House of Representatives’ consensus that any cross-strait unilateral change must be avoided, and any dispute must be solved through peaceful means, not by force or coercion.
Later the same day, Lai welcomed a delegation from the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu, the Parliament of Estonia. He said that in the face of expanding authoritarianism, it is imperative that like-minded partners unite to safeguard global peace, stability and prosperity.
The president expressed appreciation of Health Minister Riina Sikkut’s comments speaking up for Taiwan at this year’s World Health Assembly, and reiterated Taiwan’s desire to participate and share its capabilities in international organizations, including the World Health Organization and WHA. The country is committed to broadening cooperation with Estonia and other EU member states in trade, security, and others, he added.
The committee’s chair, delegation leader Marko Mihkelson, said the two sides have had numerous reciprocal visits and expressed the hope that Taiwan and Estonia mutually establish representative offices. (YCH-E)
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