Delegates from more than 10 nations are expected to attend the “Indo-Pacific dialogue on protecting religious freedom in civil societies” to be held in Taipei this month.
The dialogue is being organized by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the International Religious Freedom Roundtable.
The US Department of State Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs in a press invitation said that the dialogue would bring together civil society representatives and religious freedom advocates to share their views on the best ways to protect religious freedom when facing authoritarianism, oppression and bigotry.
Photo: AFP
US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback is to represent the US at the meeting in Taipei, the bureau said.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and AIT Director Brent Christensen are expected to deliver speeches at the event, sources said.
The bureau also recognized Tawan’s efforts as it is set to become the first nation to answer US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s call for nations to hold regional meetings to promote religious freedom after he hosted the first-ever worldwide ministerial on the topic in July last year.
As the US is set to hold another ministerial on religious freedom from July 16 to 18, issues covered in the Taipei dialogue are expected to provide some input for that meeting.
Religious freedom is one of the pillars of democracy and the US looks forward to working with its partners in the Indo-Pacific region, especially Taiwan, thereby facilitating efforts to promote religious freedom and plurality in the region, the bureau said.
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