The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it hoped to increase the number of countries granting visa waivers to Taiwanese nationals to 100 by next year to mark the 100th anniversary of the Republic of China (ROC).
Ministry Deputy Spokesman James Chang (章計平) said the ministry had been working hard to obtain visa-waiver agreements from other countries.
“We hope that an increasing number of countries will offer Taiwanese nationals visa exemption — the more the better,” Chang said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang (楊進添) told reporters on Monday that the ministry would like to mark the centennial anniversary of the ROC by raising the number of countries granting Taiwan visa-free privileges to 100.
Bureau of Consular Affairs data show that 60 countries currently issue holders of Taiwanese passports a visa waiver upon arrival.
Taipei is now seeking to obtain Schengen visa waiver treatment from the EU.
The European Commission on July 5 proposed granting Taiwan the privilege.
If Taiwan received the exemption by the end of the year, the ministry would be much closer to achieving its goal of having visa-waiver agreements with about 100 countries.
Meanwhile, James Lee (李光章), deputy director-general of the ministry’s Department of European Affairs, told a press conference that the commission’s proposal to include Taiwan in the list of nations and territories enjoying Schengen visa-free treatment was likely to be included in the agenda of the European Parliament by early September and the agenda of the European Council’s Visa Working Group’s meeting scheduled for Sept. 15.
Lee shrugged off the impact of the death penalty issue on the possibility of the EU adopting the proposal.
On April 30, the Ministry of Justice’s execution of four death-row inmates added uncertainty as to whether Taiwan would see its wish granted.
The European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights in early May voiced concerns over the executions, saying they could have a negative impact on Taiwan’s relations with the EU.
Lee said the commission’s press release on July 5 said the visa-waiver proposal was made based on Taiwan’s travel documents meeting security standards.
“The press release never mentioned the death penalty,” Lee said.
“Many [local] reporters have tried to establish a link [between the visa-waiver proposal and the death penalty issue], but this is unnecessary,” he said.
He declined to comment when asked if the review of the proposal could be stalled if more executions occurred in coming months.
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