The upcoming visit of a delegation led by Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas, is sincerely welcomed by the government and people of Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Oct. 19.
Comprising Vice Finance Minister Vaida Markeviciene, other officials, senior parliamentary staffers and business representatives from the EU member state, the group is set to arrive on Oct. 22 for a four-day stay. It will be the first visit to Taiwan by a Lithuanian parliament speaker.
According to the MOFA, the group will attend banquets hosted by President Tsai Ing-wen, Legislative Yuan President You Si-kun and Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu, and meet with Vice President Lai Ching-te and Premier Chen Chien-jen. Speaker Cmilyte-Nielsen will also receive a medal of honor from You and deliver a speech at the Legislative Yuan, it added.
The group’s itinerary includes taking part in the Fintech Taipei forum and touring the Ultrafast Laser Technology Research and Innovation Center in the southern city of Tainan to discuss ways to expand cooperation with Taiwan and enhance Lithuania’s connection with the Indo-Pacific, the MOFA said.
Cmilyte-Nielsen is a staunch friend who publicly expressed support for Taiwan after China’s military threats against Taiwan in response to former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s August 2022 visit, the ministry said. The trip will further strengthen the two-way relationship and bodes well for deeper cooperation in culture, finance, science and technology, social issues and trade, it added. (SFC-E)
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