Taiwan-EU relations are going from strength to strength, with the ROC government looking to further bilateral exchanges across a broad spectrum of areas, ROC Minister of Foreign Affairs David Y. L. Lin said May 9.
“Our ties have continued growing over the past few years, a trend underscored by the EU’s January 2011 decision to grant ROC nationals Schengen visa-waiver treatment,” Lin said. “This milestone development has further strengthened our friendship and cooperation.”
Lin made the remarks during a Europe Day reception held by Taipei-based European Economic and Trade Office. The event also marked the 10th anniversary of EETO’s establishment.
The healthy state of bilateral relations is evidenced by more than 200 agreements concluded over the past decade between Taiwan and EU member states. These span a wide range of areas such as air transportation, culture, education, finance, health care, intellectual property rights, research, taxation, technology, working holiday programs, and efforts to combat piracy, according to Lin.
The minister said trade is one of the most important aspects of two-way exchanges, and that Taipei and Brussels share the universal values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
“As part of our commitment to these important values, and to safeguard regional peace and stability, President Ma Ying-jeou proposed the East China Sea peace initiative as a platform for resolving disputes over the Diaoyutai Islands in a pragmatic and peaceful manner,” Lin said.
Echoing Lin’s remarks, EETO head Frederic Laplanche highlighted robust Taiwan-EU relations, including the launch of the Erasmus Mundus scholarship and academic cooperation program in 2005; opening of the EU Center in 2008; participation of Taiwan researchers in EU research initiatives; and environmental protection.
Laplanche said this progress over the last five years has been achieved in an atmosphere of improving cross-strait ties, a remarkable accomplishment that gives Europeans more confidence in the long-term development of EU-Taiwan relations.
But there is still great potential for Taiwan-EU relations to scale new heights, he said, adding that realizing this goal is one of his top priorities going forward.
As part of May 9 Europe Day celebrations, the EETO launched an animated short in Chinese and English to explain the EU to Taiwan’s junior high school students.
“The film was made entirely in Taiwan and is an unprecedented undertaking,” Laplanche said. “It is well-recognized by other EU delegations around the world and a French version was also made.”
Separately, the ROC Ministry of Economic Affairs and EU Center jointly held a luncheon, inviting Frank Moss, director general of the International and European Relations of the European Central Bank, to share his views on the European sovereign debt crisis and EU response measures.
As part of government efforts to boost exports to the EU, the MOEA and its 28 European offices are set to invite 80 large-scale buyers, each with annual revenues of more than US$50 million, to attend the second Taiwan trade fair scheduled for October 3 in Taipei City. (RC-JSM)
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