Visits by parliamentary delegations from Portugal and France are sincerely welcomed by the government and people of Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
A group from the Portuguese Assembly of the Republic that arrived April 14 was led by Paulo Rios de Oliveira, head of the parliamentary Taiwan friendship group, and was comprised of fellow MPs Vera Braz, Joao Moura, Joao Azevedo Castro, Helga Correia, Norberto Patinho and Carlos Eduardo Reis.
During its six-day stay, the Portuguese delegation will meet with Vice President Lai Ching-te, call on the Council of Agriculture and Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs Committee, attend a banquet hosted by Deputy MOFA Minister Tien Chung-kwang and visit key cultural and economic entities.
The delegation is scheduled for in-depth discussions with senior government officials, lawmakers and experts on issues spanning the bilateral relationship, economic resilience and regional developments, the ministry added.
A group from the French National Assembly arrived April 17 and is headed by Eric Bothorel, chair of the Taiwan friendship group, and comprised vice chair Mireille Clapot and MPs Michel Herbillon and Constance le Grip.
Highlights of the group’s four-day stay include meetings with Vice President Lai Ching-te, Legislative Yuan President You Si-kun, Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu and Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang, among other senior officials.
The delegation will attend banquets hosted respectively by You and Deputy MOFA Minister Roy Chun Lee. The visit also includes calls on key economic and cultural facilities and meetings with French expatriates, the ministry said.
Portugal and France are both like-minded partners who share the same values of freedom, democracy and respect for rule of law with Taiwan, the MOFA added.
In particular, the MOFA said Oliveira and Bothorel are unwavering friends of Taiwan who have given constant support to the country’s global participation.
The visits underscore strong support from two EU member states’ lawmaking bodies and pave the way for deeper cooperation to cement already robust bilateral ties, the ministry added. (SFC-E)
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