President Tsai meets European parliamentary delegation
On the afternoon of June 21, President Tsai Ing-wen met with a delegation from the cross-party European Parliament-Taiwan Friendship Group. In remarks, President Tsai thanked the European Parliament for passing a number of resolutions in recent years that have focused on Taiwan Strait security issues and actively supported Taiwan's international participation. President Tsai also stated that Taiwan is willing to deepen cooperation with the EU and liked-minded democratic countries in multiple areas, and that together we can strengthen our democratic alliances and promote regional peace, stability, and prosperity.
A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:
I want to extend a very warm welcome to Vice-chair Rasa Juknevičienė of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Security and Defence and her delegation. Your group is the first from the European Parliament to visit us this year. Thank you for taking concrete action to demonstrate your staunch support for Taiwan.
Just days ago, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) returned from a trip to Europe. His in-depth exchanges with many MEPs gave Minister Wu a sense of the European Parliament's concern and support for Taiwan.
Taiwan and the European Union are important partners that share such values as democracy, freedom, and respect for human rights. I want to especially thank the European Parliament for passing a number of resolutions in recent years that have focused on Taiwan Strait security issues and actively supported Taiwan's international participation.
In April this year, the European Parliament held a critical debate on the need for a coherent strategy for EU-China relations. During the debate, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, the chairs of major political groups, and leading MEPs all emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
In the face of expanding authoritarianism, solidarity among democratic partners is increasingly important. Taiwan is willing to both increase and deepen cooperation with the EU and liked-minded democratic countries in such areas as the economy and trade, science and technology, culture, and regional security. Together, we can strengthen our democratic alliances and promote regional peace, stability, and prosperity.
I understand that your delegation will visit many important government agencies and civil organizations. You will also be visiting Yilan tomorrow. I hope that, through this visit, you will have the first-hand experience of Taiwan's safe environment and its convenience. Over the next few days, Taiwan will also be celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival holiday. So, please feel free to share what you see in Taiwan on social media.
In closing, I once again thank you all for supporting Taiwan. I believe that Taiwan and the EU are well placed to continue deepening our partnership across many domains. I wish you a pleasant and successful visit.
Vice-chair Juknevičienė then delivered remarks, a transcript of which follows:
First of all, I want to thank you and your people for the hospitality we have received in your country as a European Parliament delegation of Friendship Group with Taiwan. The people of Taiwan show a special determination to defend the democratic way of life. This is particularly important for us in the [sic] Europe, because we understand democracy as our European way of life. Although we are separated by thousands of kilometers, we feel that Taiwan is our neighbor.
Especially now, when a brutal war is going on in the center of the European continent, we are united by the determination to be on the right side of history. Since the first days of Russian illegal, large-scale aggression against Ukraine, the people of our countries and your country have stood on the right side of history. The people of Taiwan, like us in Europe, understand that brave Ukrainians defend not only their land, but also all the democracies of the world.
Today, it is more important than ever to develop the unity of democracies, which is why we are here. Taiwan is a healthy democracy and technologically advanced economy. There is a direct connection between European prosperity and Asian security. And Taiwan could contribute to maintaining a rules-based order in the region.
There is a lot that we can learn from Taiwan's good practices, such as effective strengthening of social resilience by increasing awareness in cyberspace, media literacy, and preparedness to defend Taiwan. Your outstanding success in countering [large] quantities of cyberattacks and fighting disinformation while respecting democratic values is inspiring!
The EU and Member States should take a proactive role in establishing partnerships with the democratic government of Taiwan. I am proud that the government of my country has taken a brave step to set up a Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania, and a Lithuanian trade representative office is already working in Taiwan. I hope that soon this step will become the basis for the success story of Lithuania-Taiwan relations.
Your Excellency, thank you for this meeting, and we wish peace and continued prosperity to your nation. Thank you.
The delegation also included MEPs Riho Terras, Katalin Cseh, Aušra Maldeikienė, Ramona Strugariu, and Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party Vice President Dániel Berg.