President Tsai Ing-wen said Sept. 18 that the government welcomes closer and more frequent exchanges with the European Parliament as part of overall efforts to strengthen Taiwan-EU ties.
The relationship between the two sides has gone from strength to strength since the past two years, Tsai said. The Administrative Arrangement on Cluster Cooperation concluded in June, as well as record two-way visit and trade numbers last year, is testament to this healthy state of affairs, she added.
It is sincerely hoped, Tsai said, Taiwan and the EU will capitalize on these achievements and work together in identifying new opportunities for cooperation in areas of shared interest.
Tsai made the remarks while welcoming an EP delegation at the Office of the President in Taipei City. Led by Ivo Vajgl of Slovenia, a member of the EP and Committee on Foreign Affairs, the group is in Taiwan Sept. 16-21 on a civil society, defense, economic and foreign affairs fact-finding mission.
According to Tsai, the EP’s adoption Sept. 12 of the report on the state of EU-China relations and its parts pertaining to Taiwan is sincerely welcomed by the government and the people.
Authored by longtime Taiwan friend MEP Bas Belder of the Netherlands, the report calls on the EU and its member states to back Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations, start bilateral investment agreement talks, and urge China to “refrain from further military provocation towards Taiwan” and endangering cross-strait peace and stability.
These sentiments were shared by Tsai during a recorded speech delivered earlier in the month during an EP seminar in Brussels. China is jeopardizing the peaceful status quo of cross-strait relations, she said, adding that such actions only make Taiwan more determined and resolved to safeguard its democracy and contribute to global society.
In addition to thanking the delegation for the EP’s support of Taiwan, Tsai reaffirmed the government’s commitment to collaborating with the EU and those member states sharing similar experiences as Taiwan in promoting democracy. Croatia, Czech Republic and Slovenia are also nations that successfully transitioned to a democratic and peaceful way of life, she added. (SFC-E)
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