Baltic parliamentary delegation received at Presidential Office

2023/08/14

President Tsai Ing-wen received a parliamentary delegation from the Baltic States Aug. 10 at the Presidential Office in Taipei City and pledged to open a new chapter of friendship and cooperation.
 
The group includes the chairs of three foreign affairs committees: Marko Mihkelson from Estonia, Rihards Kols from Latvia and Zygimantas Pavilionis from Lithuania. Their visit is significant in terms of regional security and solidarity among global democracies, Tsai said, adding that it follows Pavilionis’ trip to Taipei with the Taiwan Friendship Caucus of the Ukrainian parliament last year.
 
According to the president, Taiwan and the Baltic states share a common understanding of the struggle for democracy and are facing threats of authoritarian expansionism. They have also all strongly supported Ukraine’s fight for freedom, Tsai said, citing Taiwan’s donation of US$58 million in aid and over 700 tons of supplies in 2022, as well as its commitment to continued cooperation with the three EU member states to assist in Ukraine’s reconstruction.
 
Tsai additionally urged the three chairs to facilitate Taiwan’s participation in the NATO-accredited centers of excellence hosted by their respective nations, which include the Cooperative Cyber Defence COE in Estonia, the Energy Security COE in Lithuania and the Strategic Communications COE in Latvia.
 
The president took the opportunity to thank the governments and parliaments of the Baltic states for their support of Taiwan in numerous international events such as the World Health Assembly held in May.
 
In response, Mihkelson expressed his anticipation that the like-minded partners would strengthen collaboration in areas spanning cybersecurity, digitalization, economy and trade, as well as innovation and science, which will pave the way for closer relations between Taiwan and the EU as a whole.
 
Taiwan and the Baltic states are beacons of democracy, he said, adding that his delegation’s visit to Taiwan conveys a message of solidarity.


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