Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung attended a reception marking the close of the year of Netherlands-Taiwan innovation and culture Nov. 27 in Taipei City at the invitation of the Netherlands Office Taipei (NLOT).
In his remarks, Lin said Taiwan and the Netherlands are like-minded partners that share the values of democracy, freedom and respect for human rights and thanked the Dutch government for offering substantive support to Taiwan, including sending a naval vessel to traverse the Taiwan Strait in May for the first time.
Additionally, Lin expressed gratitude for the Dutch Parliament’s passage of four Taiwan-friendly motions so far this year, one of which reaffirms that U.N. Resolution 2758 does not preclude Taiwan’s international participation. Another, jointly proposed by Dutch House Rep. Jan Paternotte, co-chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, and other Dutch House members, was passed Nov. 19 and calls on the Dutch government to help Taiwan launch official negotiations on investment agreements with major European countries.
In response, NLOT Rep. Guido Tielman pointed out that relations between Taiwan and the Netherlands date back to 1624, when the Dutch landed in the southern city of Tainan’s Anping District and established Fort Zeelandia. Highlights of the 2024 exchange project include the Netherlands’ participation in the 2024 Taipei International Book Exhibition as a guest of honor and attendance at the Semicon Taiwan and Energy Taiwan trade shows, Tielman said, adding that he hopes the two sides continue to deepen partnership based on this robust foundation. (POC-E)
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