Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

During a meeting with Head of European Economic and Trade Office Filip Grzegorzewski on the morning of January 22, President Tsai Ing-wen thanked the European Union (EU) for its continued concern for Taiwan and cross-strait development. She also expressed hope to continue to deepen cooperation with the EU in all areas, and strengthen economic and trade relations by signing a Taiwan-EU bilateral investment agreement (BIA).

In remarks, President Tsai said it was a great pleasure to meet with Mr. Grzegorzewski again. She then expressed sincere gratitude to the European External Action Service for releasing a formal statement of congratulations immediately following the recent elections in Taiwan. She also thanked Mr. Grzegorzewski for his kind message offering congratulations and commending Taiwan's democratic achievements, and even more, for visiting in person.

Through this election, she said, the people of Taiwan have once again demonstrated to the world their determination to safeguard Taiwan's sovereignty and democracy. We look forward to continuing cooperation with like-minded partners, including the European Union, to uphold universal values and promote prosperity and national development in all of our countries, she added.

With regard to cross-strait relations, President Tsai stated that our position has never changed. We seek to resume positive interaction and stable development across the Taiwan Strait on the basis of peace, parity, democracy, and dialogue. She then thanked the EU for its continued concern for Taiwan and cross-strait development, and expressed hope that the EU will continue to extend full support to Taiwan, so that we can jointly deepen our partnership.

President Tsai then noted that Taiwan and the EU have many dialogue mechanisms and cooperative relationships, especially in wind power. She then expressed hope that we can continue to strengthen cooperation with the EU in all areas, and we look forward to strengthening economic and trade relations by signing a Taiwan-EU BIA.

President Tsai thanked Mr. Grzegorzewski for working so closely with us. Shen then said that since he assumed his position in September last year, bilateral Taiwan-EU relations have continued on an upward trajectory, and our economic and trade exchanges have yielded excellent results.

President Tsai also mentioned that Taiwan is facing the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, which once again shows that Taiwan should not become a gap in the global disease prevention system, and that the people of Taiwan should enjoy equal rights to health. Whether it's African swine fever or the Wuhan coronavirus, we remain vigilant, she said, and will actively share response strategies and experiences with the international community.

In closing, the president said that the EU is a key partner in maintaining Taiwan's international connections, and that she was delighted to welcome Mr. Grzegorzewski on his visit. Let's work together, she said, to advance the Taiwan-EU partnership and create even greater achievements.

The visiting delegation also included Deputy Head of the European Economic and Trade Office Thomas Jürgensen.