Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

After a tornado with winds of over 300 kilometers per hour struck the region of South Moravia in the southeast Czech Republic on June 24 (Taipei time), Presidential Office Spokesperson Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said today that upon hearing of the incident, President Tsai Ing-wen directed Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) to express the sincere concerns of the people and government of Taiwan to the Czech Republic, and to convey our condolences to the victims and their families.  

Spokesperson Chang said that the longstanding friendship between the peoples of Taiwan and the Czech Republic continues to grow stronger, and that Taiwanese are still deeply moved when they recall that Czech Republic Senate President Miloš Vystrčil declared "I am Taiwanese" in a speech delivered at the Legislative Yuan during his visit last September. The spokesperson also said that Taiwanese sympathize with the people of the Czech Republic as they suffer in the wake of this tragic natural disaster.

Spokesperson Chang added that President Tsai has directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to inform the Czech authorities that Taiwan stands ready to provide recovery and reconstruction assistance in affected areas if needed. President Tsai has also instructed the Ministry and Taiwan's representative office in the Czech Republic to continue monitoring the situation and reconstruction efforts, to ascertain the status of Taiwanese expatriates and businesspeople in the region, and to provide any assistance necessary to ensure their safety.