Berlin Freedom Conference welcomes former president Tsai’s speech

2025/11/19

Former President Tsai Ing-wen visited Germany Nov. 8-15, where she delivered a keynote speech Nov. 10 at the first Berlin Freedom Conference, as the first Taiwanese ex-president to speak at the event. She called on democratic countries to join forces to advance security and prosperity, and expressed gratitude to the European Union and G7 countries for voicing the importance of cross-strait peace, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
 
Members of the Germany-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group hosted a reception for Tsai, where she met with approximately 40 cross-party Bundestag members including Group Chair Till Steffen and Michael Brand, parliamentary state secretary, at the Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.
 
The former president paid a visit to the European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company in Dresden, a joint venture between TSMC, Bosch, Infineon and NXP, and listened to a briefing made by ESMC President Christian Koitzsch. She also met with Dresden Mayor Dirk Hilbert to exchange views on issues such as Taiwan-Germany semiconductor cooperation.
 
Other events in Tsai’s schedule included meeting with Konrad Adenauer Foundation and Heinrich Böll Foundation members and receiving a certificate of friendship from Karl-Heinz Paqué, chair of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. The former president also visited the Topography of Terror museum which educates on the institutions and events enabling the Holocaust.
 
The MOFA said that this year marked the 36th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Leaders from government, business, education, media, tech, civil society and defense came together in Berlin to develop long-term strategies for democracy and freedom at the first Berlin Freedom Conference. 


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