MOFA thanks EP lawmakers for congratulating President Tsai on upcoming inauguration

2020/05/19

A joint letter from 138 members of the European Parliament congratulating President Tsai Ing-wen on her upcoming inauguration as the 15th-term president of the ROC (Taiwan) is sincerely appreciated, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said May 16.
 
 Coordinated by Michael Gahler, chair of the European Parliament-Taiwan Friendship Group, and MEPs Andrey Kovatchev, Dominique Riquet, Juan Lopez Aguilar and Ryszard Legutko, the letter was signed by lawmakers from 22 EU member states and the U.K.
 
 In the letter, parliamentarians praised President Tsai’s efforts promoting regional peace and stability over the past four years and said her re-election ensures Taiwan’s status as a beacon of democracy in Asia.
 
 Shared values such as dedication to freedom, human rights and rule of law are the foundation of Taiwan-EU relations, the letter said, adding that the EP’s support for Taiwan’s meaning participation in international bodies such as the World Health Assembly and International Civil Aviation Organization is proof of the two sides’ rock-solid friendship.
 
 This follows an open letter sent by 102 European parliamentarians and four members of the German parliament last week urging all 27 EU member states to request the World Health Organization invite Taiwan’s Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung to take part in the WHA videoconference set for May 18-19.
 
 The MOFA expressed thanks to the signatories of both letters and said the government will continue nurturing a deep, mutually beneficial relationship with the EP and EU member states.
 
 Tsai was re-elected Jan. 11 with 8.17 million votes, defeating Han Kuo-yu of the major opposition party Kuomintang. Her inauguration set to take place May 20 will proceed in accordance with recommendations from the Central Epidemic Command Center.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)