A resolution adopted by the Swedish Parliament in support of Taiwan is sincerely appreciated by the government and people, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs April 29.
Proposed by Kerstin Lundgren, third deputy speaker; Markus Wiechel; and Hans Wallmark, deputy chair of the Riksdag’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, the resolution was passed 205 to 80 with 64 abstentions the day before. It called on the Swedish government to enhance the country’s presence in Taiwan while deepening bilateral ties by changing its representative office’s name to House of Sweden.
According to the MOFA, the resolution follows cross-party support for Taiwan by members of the Swedish Parliament during the Feb. 16 annual foreign policy debate and the visit of the Swedish and European Parliament delegation led by Boriana Aberg, chair of the Swedish-Taiwanese Parliamentarian Association, and EP member Charlie Weimers earlier this month. Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde also reiterated the government’s stance on the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and its backing for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization April 19, the ministry added.
Taiwan and Sweden share the universal values of freedom, democracy and respect for human rights and the rule of law, the MOFA said, adding that the two sides both stand on the front lines of authoritarian expansion via infiltration, military threats, disinformation campaigns and cognitive warfare.
The government is committed to deepening cooperation with Sweden while expanding exchanges to safeguard freedom and the democratic way of life in the international community, the MOFA said.
In a tweet on its official Twitter account, the MOFA said: “We welcome the Swedish Parliament’s passage of a resolution urging the #EU member state’s government to boost the country’s presence in #Taiwan & bilateral ties by changing its representative office’s name to House of #Sweden.” (YCH-E)
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