Taiwan has signed a reciprocal driver’s license agreement with Colorado, the 19th US state with which the nation has forged such an accord, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Denver, Colorado, signed the memorandum of understanding with the Colorado state government on Wednesday, the ministry said in a statement.
According to the agreement, which took immediate effect, Taiwanese living in Colorado who possess a valid Taiwanese driver’s license are exempt from a road and written test when applying for a license in the US state, it added.
Similarly, Colorado residents with a US passport and a valid driver’s license issued by the state government can apply for a driver’s license in Taiwan without having to take a test.
Jerry Chang (張詩瑞), head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Denver, said the initiative would make it more convenient for Taiwanese businesspeople, students and academics in Colorado to go about their business, life and work there.
It is expected to further advance trade and cultural exchanges between Taiwan and Colorado, he said.
The signing of the agreement came after two years of negotiations between the two sides, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
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