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On the afternoon of December 19, President Tsai Ing-wen met with a cross-group delegation from the European Parliament (EP). In addition to thanking the EP for supporting Taiwan, President Tsai reiterated that Taiwan will continue to proactively participate in international affairs, and enhance cooperation with the European Union (EU) and regional countries so that all parties can work together to promote peace, stability, and prosperity.
The president first welcomed Vice-Chair of the EP-Taiwan Friendship Group Andrey Kovatchev and the members of his delegation. Noting that some of the EP members were visiting Taiwan for the first time, she expressed hope that this trip would help them better understand Taiwan's democracy and Taiwan’s role in international affairs.
President Tsai pointed out that Taiwan and the EU share the universal values of democracy, freedom, and human rights, and that both are striving to achieve sustainable development. Since the EP passed the Paris Agreement last year, the EU has played a leading role in addressing global warming. The president also said that her recent visit to Taiwan's diplomatic allies in the South Pacific made her acutely aware of the impact of global warming on island nations. She therefore mentioned several times during her visits that Taiwan is willing and able to contribute more to the international community in meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Commenting on Taiwan's actions to achieve sustainable development, President Tsai emphasized that Taiwan has already released its first Voluntary National Review. The Legislative Yuan has also formed an inclusive, non-partisan SDG Advisory Committee that will work with executive agencies to promote sustainable development. In addition, our government has adopted a number of policy programs focusing on sustainable development including the "5+2 industrial innovation program" and the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program. It is hoped that initiatives like these will drive Taiwan's industrial transformation and create new job opportunities, she said.
The president also stated that numerous European firms have signed letters of intent to invest in Taiwan, especially in the green energy sector, so hopefully we can work together to promote the development of renewable energy in Taiwan. In addition, we welcome firms from all over the world to take part in the construction of rail transport systems and build a new generation of energy-saving railways. We also look forward to even more cooperative projects with investors from around the globe in biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, smart machinery, new agriculture, and the Internet of Things, so we can jointly contribute to global sustainable development.
The president specially noted that the EU is Taiwan's largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI), and that everyone would like to see even stronger economic and trade ties between Taiwan and the EU. This September, the European Commission issued its Report on the Implementation of the Trade Policy Strategy Trade for All, which states that the EU is preparing to launch investment negotiations with Taiwan. President Tsai said that Taiwan is happy to engage in trade dialogues with all countries, and that she hopes for stronger Taiwan-EU economic and trade relations.
And lastly, President Tsai thanked the EP for its support for Taiwan. Besides passing Taiwan-friendly resolutions on numerous occasions, in this year's annual resolution on foreign policy and security it supported meaningful participation for Taiwan in international organizations. She reiterated that Taiwan will continue to proactively participate in international affairs, and enhance cooperation with the EU and regional countries so that all parties can work together to promote peace, stability, and prosperity.
