Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans party for new EU office

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday that it is planning a "Europe Week" program in May in connection with the opening of a EU representative office in Taipei.

"A flurry of festivities and eye-catching exhibitions will be held from May 5 to May 9 in celebration of the opening of the EU office in Taipei," said Lin Yung-lo (李永樂), director of the ministry's European Affairs Department.

The activities will include a European film festival, a European postage-stamp exhibit, a European poster show and a European cultural heritage and artifacts exhibit, as well as a "Europe Day" dinner party, Lin said.

"The program is part of our efforts to boost friendship and cooperation with European countries, including the 15 EU member states," Lin said.

Lin added that the European Commission -- the EU's executive arm -- has not included Taiwan on a list of "off-limits" areas to which its staff members should avoid traveling amid the global outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

The commission has advised its staff members to avoid visiting Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing and Guangdong because of the risk of contracting the disease.

Judging from the commission's travel advisory, Lin said, Taiwan is not facing substantial difficulties in communicating and engaging with EU countries.

Nevertheless, he said, several EU countries, such as Spain and Austria, have included Taiwan on their own lists of areas their citizens should avoid amid the SARS scare.

Lin said the foreign ministry has directed the nation's representative offices to brief their host countries on Taiwan's efforts and achievements in controlling the flu-like infectious disease.

"The governments and health authorities of those countries now understand that the SARS outbreak has been kept at bay in Taiwan," Lin said.

Taiwan has 20 probable SARS cases and no SARS fatalities. Moreover, there has been no "mass transmission" in Taiwan.

According to ministry tallies, 16 countries have included Taiwan on their travel-advisory lists over the SARS scare. They are: Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, South Korea, New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Spain, the UK and Israel.

No country in the EU has official ties with Taiwan.