MOFA thanks global community for backing Taiwan’s ICAO bid

2022/10/12

The strong support of the global community for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the International Civil Aviation Organization is sincerely appreciated by the government and people, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Oct. 8.
 
According to the MOFA, a total of 1,160 friends of Taiwan from the executive and legislative branches of 24 and 65 countries, respectively, have voiced support for Taiwan since the U.N. specialized agency’s last gathering in 2019.
 
A delegation led by Lin Jiunn-liang, deputy director-general of the Civil Aeronautics Administration, traveled to Montreal this year to express Taiwan’s commitment to joining ICAO.
 
During his stay, Lin took part in a hybrid in-person and online seminar staged by Taiwan, the U.S., Japan and Australia under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework to enhance aviation safety, as well as 22 bilateral meetings with representatives from countries including the U.S. and other NGOs to exchange views on related issues, the ministry said.
 
The country’s allies have also reaffirmed their backing by delivering remarks, issuing statements, sending a signed letter to the ICAO Council president and taking part in meetings and the GCTF seminar. The MOFA once again expressed its sincere gratitude for such a staunch show of support.
 
A larger number of like-minded partners than ever spoke for Taiwan during this year’s assembly. In particular, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Peter Buttigieg said that Taiwan, as an important stakeholder in the global civil aviation network, should have the opportunity to participate meaningfully in ICAO’s work.
 
According to the MOFA, among the promotional campaigns produced by the ministry this year, a short video has been viewed 13 million times online, and an op-ed by Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai has been reported on nearly 100 times by news outlets such as the Diplomat of the U.S. and Mainichi Shimbun of Japan.
 
As this year’s assembly was themed “Reconnecting the World,” the ministry once again urged ICAO to uphold a professional and neutral stance.
 
ICAO needs to look squarely at the legitimacy and urgency of Taiwan’s participation so that the country can contribute to global aviation safety and sustainable development, the MOFA added.


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