Cross-party support by members of the Swedish Parliament for Taiwan during the Feb. 16 annual foreign policy debate is sincerely appreciated by the government and people, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Feb. 18.
Liberal Party MP Joar Forssell voiced concern over China’s continuous fighter jet incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) threatening cross-strait security, while Foreign Minister Ann Linde expressed regret over the matter.
During the debate, MP Markus Wiechel of the Democrats highly commended Taiwan’s democratic achievements, praising its eighth-place ranking in the 2021 Democracy Index compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The rights of the people to determine their future in a free and democratic way should be respected, he said.
Members of the parliament also called on the Swedish government to strengthen bilateral ties and exchanges while helping Taiwan elevate its global presence.
According to the MOFA, the latest development follows parliamentary support in March 2021 by then Prime Minister Stefan Lofven for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization.
The ministry said Taiwan and Sweden are like-minded partners who share the same conviction when it comes to addressing global challenges, building democratic resilience and countering composite threats. The government will continue to deepen and expand cooperation with the Nordic country on this solid foundation, it added.
In a tweet on its official Twitter account, the MOFA said “Our gratitude for the support of #Taiwan by members of #Sweden’s parliament during the foreign policy debate on strengthening bilateral ties. We truly value the backing of friends like @AnnLinde, @JoarForssell & @MarkusWiechel.” (SFC-E)
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