President Tsai meets Estonia-Taiwan Support Group delegation
On the morning of March 7, President Tsai Ing-wen met with a delegation from the Estonia-Taiwan Support Group of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia). In remarks, President Tsai thanked the Estonian government and the Estonia-Taiwan Support Group for their repeated support for Taiwan's international participation. The president said that Taiwan and Estonia share such common values as freedom, democracy, respect for human rights, and the rule of law. She also expressed hope that we can work together to help democracy develop globally, and that our countries can advance exchanges in such areas as information and communications technology and precision machinery while also exploring opportunities for further cooperation in many more fields.
A translation of President Tsai's remarks follows:
I welcome the members of the Estonia-Taiwan Support Group on their first visit to Taiwan. Thank you for taking action in support of Taiwan. I want to take this opportunity to thank Estonia-Taiwan Support Group Chairman Kristo Enn Vaga for repeatedly expressing support, at public events and on social media, for Taiwan's international participation. I also want to thank the Estonian government and the support group for backing, over four consecutive years, Taiwan's bid to participate in the World Health Organization and contribute to the international community.
Taiwan and Estonia are similar in many respects. We share such common values as freedom, democracy, respect for human rights, and the rule of law, and we both stand on the frontline against authoritarian expansion. Since the onset of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, both Taiwan and Estonia have been actively assisting Ukraine. Currently, Taiwan is exploring ways to strengthen cooperation with the Estonian Centre for International Development with the hope of finding practical approaches to helping Ukraine rebuild its infrastructure.
I have every confidence that this visit by the cross-party delegation led by Chairman Vaga will help Taiwan and Estonia deepen our democratic partnership and work together to help democracy develop globally.
Looking ahead, we hope that with the support and assistance of the delegation members, Taiwan and Estonia can advance exchanges in such areas as information and communications technology and precision machinery and explore opportunities for further cooperation in many more fields. Your visit is a key step forward for bilateral exchanges between Taiwan and Estonia. I once again extend a sincere welcome to you all and wish you a pleasant and successful trip.
Chairman Vaga then delivered remarks, saying that it is a great pleasure to be in Taiwan with a historically big delegation from Estonia, which is a big step in Taiwan and Estonia's bilateral relations.
Chairman Vaga said that for the last several years, President Tsai has not only been an inspiration for the Taiwanese people, but also an inspiration globally, as an advocate for freedom, democracy, human rights, and equality. He said that they, on the other side of the globe, look closely at what we are doing here in Taiwan and take great pleasure in the steps that Taiwan has been taking as a democratic nation.
Chairman Vaga said that their delegation is here to show solidarity with and support for Taiwan, but also to show that Estonia's foreign policy is very much values-based, and that it is values-based on finding new partners and strengthening ties with democratic partners. He then pointed to what President Tsai had just said, saying that Taiwan and Estonia are very like-minded in these democratic values.
Chairman Vaga said that the whole week their delegation has been in Taiwan, every meeting has been wonderful. In these meetings, he said, they have been able to find many commonalities, noting that it is like being just right next door, while actually being thousands of kilometers apart. He added that it is really impressive how similar Taiwan and Estonia are in these basic values that everybody should stand for globally.
Chairman Vaga noted that Estonia and Taiwan are similar in that every day, we are being pressured by a bigger, aggressive neighbor who does not believe in democracy, freedom of speech, or other freedoms in the world. He said that those countries will try, by any means, to abolish our democratic states. Since the axis of global authoritarian regimes have put their backs together to fight democracy, he emphasized, we have to put our backs together to stand for democracy.
Chairman Vaga thanked President Tsai for mentioning that Taiwan and Estonia can have stronger relations in the information and communications technology sector. Chairman Vaga said that Estonia has been a big advocate of e-governance, and it knows that the technology is a possibility, not just a threat in some ways. He noted that Taiwan is the world leader in driving this technological new era and is the leading nation in providing semiconductors for everything that is remotely technological in the world. He added that both of our nations are looking with open eyes to new technology to put this into effect in our governments, for our peoples, and for our democracies, and that all of our nations globally have to use this technological advantage for the good of the people.
Chairman Vaga said that the full-on invasion of Russia in Ukraine, which has now gone on for more than two years, is an existential question for Estonia. For that reason, he said, they are trying to help Ukraine more each day so that they can not only finish this war but defeat Russia on the frontline. He expressed admiration, from the whole Estonian nation, for Taiwan also helping Ukraine in these tough times, adding that Taiwan itself has a tough time facing the PRC every day, but still finds the time and resources to help Ukraine. He noted that this shows that Taiwan is not only supporting and advocating democracy locally, but also globally, everywhere, and this shows that our people are not only enthusiastic but also good at heart.
Pointing to the multipartisan makeup of his delegation, Chairman Vaga said that they have multipartisan support in the Riigikogu for strengthening relations with Taiwan. He said that they can confirm that they are working very hard to find the best possibilities to open a representative office of Taiwan in Tallinn, the Estonian capital, to help make our bilateral relations even stronger in the next few years and beyond. He then thanked President Tsai for all of the hospitality Taiwan has showed them, saying that they will definitely come back and that we will have very good relations in the future.
The delegation also included Deputy Chairman of the Cultural Committee of the Riigikogu Tõnis Lukas, Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Committee Jaak Valge, Members of the Riigikogu Juku-Kalle Raid, Ester Karuse, Luisa Rõivas, Karmen Joller, and leader of the international non-governmental organization Academy of Liberalism Risto Kaljurand.