The Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu attended a reception celebrating Slovakia’s 30th National Day and the 20th anniversary of establishing the Taipei Representative Office, Bratislava in Slovakia and the Slovak Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, underscoring the government’s commitment to expanding two-way ties.
Speaking at the event Nov. 17 in Taipei City, Wu praised Taiwan and Slovakia’s close bilateral exchanges despite the geographical distance. The two countries’ shared values of democracy, freedom, and respect for human rights and the rule of law have facilitated collaboration in areas spanning academics, economy, public health, technology and trade, the minister said.
Wu emphasized that the two-decade bond is deeply cherished, as evidenced by the frequent reciprocal visits of high-ranking officials. Milan Laurencik, deputy speaker of Slovakia’s National Council, and Peter Svec, deputy minister of economy, led delegations to Taiwan in 2022 and 2023, respectively, and the minster has personally visited Slovakia twice.
In response, SECO Rep. Bruno Hromy expressed gratitude to Wu for his contributions to the partnership. Taiwan has become the second-largest Asian investor in Slovakia, and currently 72 Slovakian students are pursuing education in Taiwan, he said.
Hromy went on to applaud the seminar held earlier the same day in honor of the 20 years of Taiwan-Slovakia ties, with Vice Foreign Minister Remus Li-kuo Chen and academics and experts from both sides sharing the achievements of cooperative projects. The representative also invited attendees to a Slovakian art exhibition running Nov. 18-26 at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, the MOFA added.
The ministry thanked Slovakia for its staunch support for Taiwan’s international participation and vowed to continue strengthening exchanges to benefit the citizens of both countries and contribute to the stability of both Europe and the Indo-Pacific. (POC-E)
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