Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) yesterday hailed the Czech Republic as a “Mecca of democracy” upon arrival in Prague, where Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil greeted the visiting Taiwanese delegation.
A cross-party delegation of lawmakers arrived at Vaclav Havel Airport in Prague at 9am on a Turkish Airlines flight.
You and Vystrcil embraced when they saw each other for the first time since Vystrcil visited Taiwan in September 2020 as the head of an 89-member delegation.
Photo: AFP
Speaking at a news conference immediately after their meeting, You said he is “at long last” visiting the Czech Republic as a pilgrim of sorts to the “Mecca of democracy.”
Hailing the Prague Spring of 1968 and the Velvet Revolution of 1989 as movements still widely celebrated, You praised the unyielding spirit of the Czech people in their struggles for freedom.
The Taiwanese delegation is visiting in the hope of promoting friendship and parliamentary exchanges between the two nations, as well as deepening their cultural, technological and economic ties, You wrote on Facebook.
Another important goal is to thank Vystrcil for his 2020 visit, when he became the first parliamentary leader of a non-diplomatic ally to address the Legislative Yuan, he said.
“Vystrcil’s moving ‘I am Taiwanese’ speech not only deepened the friendship between our two nations, but also led Europe and the world to better understand Taiwan,” he added.
You and fellow legislators Jang Chyi-lu (張其祿) of the Taiwan People’s Party; Yosi Takun and Wan Mei-ling (萬美玲) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT); and Huang Shih-chieh (黃世杰) of the Democratic Progressive Party are in the Czech Republic until Thursday.
They later yesterday were to pay their respects to late Czech president Vaclav Havel by presenting bouquets at his grave.
The delegation tomorrow is scheduled to meet with Vystrcil, three Czech Senate vice presidents and other senate officials, the Czech Senate said.
After the meeting, they are to pay their respects to former Czech Senate president Jaroslav Kubera, who served from 2018 until his death in January 2020, a month before he was scheduled to visit Taiwan.
You and Vystrcil are to hold a news conference tomorrow before the delegation departs on Thursday.
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