Taiwan, Flanders ink bilateral cooperation pact

2022/01/22

A memorandum of understanding on bilateral cooperation was inked Jan. 19 by Taiwan and Flanders, paving the way for more progress in areas benefiting the people of both sides, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
 
Taking effect immediately, the MOU was signed by Deputy Foreign Minister Harry Ho-jen Tseng and Julie Bynens, secretary-general of the Flanders Department of Foreign Affairs. It incorporates six existing bilateral pacts on education, investment, public health, renewable energy, science and employment and vocational training.
 
The pact also allows for the establishment of a joint commission to regularly review implementation results of ongoing projects, as well as expand collaboration to other mutually beneficial areas such as digital economy and network security.
 
Tseng said Taiwan and Flanders boast similar strengths such as abundant human resources, innovation, and resilient small and medium enterprises. These assets bode well for the two sides to explore opportunities in other potential-laden sectors like biotechnology, circular economy and green energy, he added.
 
In response, Bynens said her government attaches great importance to its partnership with Taiwan, as evidenced by the bilateral pacts concluded since 2014. The latest agreement is expected to take two-way ties to new heights, she added.
 
According to the MOFA, Taiwan and the region in Belgium enjoy close and friendly relations. In March, the Flemish Parliament passed a resolution supporting Taiwan’s global participation and calling for additional exchanges with the country, the ministry said.
 
In a tweet on its official Twitter account, the MOFA said “Deputy Minister Tseng proudly put pen to paper with @JulieBynens on an MOU deepening #Taiwan-#Flanders cooperation. The pact combines 6 existing MOUs & paves the way for more bilateral progress in key areas promoting sustainable development & prosperity!”


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