President Tsai welcomes historic Balkan delegation

2023/03/14

President Tsai Ing-wen received legislators from Kosovo, North Macedonia and Romania at the Presidential Office March 13 in Taipei City, pledging to expand exchanges between Taiwan and the Balkans.
 
Led by Avdullah Hoti, former prime minister of Kosovo and current co-chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, the nine-member delegation also includes Artan Abrashi and Blerta Deliu-Kodra of the Taiwan-Kosovo parliamentary friendship group, as well as lawmakers from North Macedonia and Romania.
 
Tsai described the group as the first high-level, cross-party legislative delegation from multiple Balkan states to visit Taiwan, adding that the positive development is a starting point for enhancing exchanges between Taiwan and the region.
 
According to the president, Taiwan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have a deeply rooted cooperative relationship. Through this platform, Taiwan seeks to identify further opportunities to forge closer partnerships with the three countries in such fields as women's entrepreneurship, information and communications technology, trade and investment, and green energy.
 
Tsai said the continued expansion of authoritarianism threatens the entire world and reiterated Taiwan’s commitment to increased cooperation with global partners to protect supply chains, defend regional peace and stability, and safeguard a free and democratic way of life.
 
In response, Hoti said Kosovo fully understands Taiwan’s position as it has been through a similar situation. He said the presence of the delegation shows members’ determination to support Taiwan, as well as their commitment to expanding cooperation in various fields.
 
Taiwan should consider Kosovo a friend in the Balkans, he said, adding that the country is ready to serve as a hub for Taiwan in that region. 


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