Four groups of 16 European dignitaries are to attend the Double Ten National Day celebrations on Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday.
Four delegations composed of representatives from the EU, as well as parliamentarians and government officials from Belgium, the UK, Germany and Portugal, among others, have confirmed that they will attend the event.
The dignitaries include a group led by Edwin Cardinal O’Brien, Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, and a delegation of members of the Belgian parliament, led by Raf Terwingen, co-chairman of the Belgium-Taiwan Friendship Group.
More than 300 foreign dignitaries from around the world will attend the event, the ministry said.
Since last month, several groups of European dignitaries have visited Taiwan to promote bilateral exchanges, including a French parliamentarian delegation led by Frederique Massat, chairman of the French National Assembly’s Committee on Economic Affairs, and a group led by Daniel Caspary, the coordinator of the European People’s Party Group on the International Trade Committee of the European Parliament.
In addition, a delegation led by Nigel Evans, head of the British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group, and a delegation headed by Till Steffen, minister of justice of Hamburg, have also visited Taiwan, the ministry said.
A total of 240 military personnel and relief workers will be honored at the National Day ceremony in front of the Presidential Office Building for their contribution to disaster relief work, the organizer said, adding that there will be a flyover by 15 helicopters used in relief work.
The Double Ten celebrations will recognize these individuals as the “pride of Taiwan,” said Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全), who is also head of the preparatory committee for National Day celebrations.
The program to mark the 105th anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of China will be divided into two sections: “Relief Work Heroes” and “Taiwan Values,” the committee said.
The first section will showcase the spirit of national unity during natural disasters, while the second one will feature Taiwanese athletes who won medals at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this year, the committee said.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is scheduled to give a speech at the event, which will be attended by Taiwanese officials, foreign officials based in Taiwan and members of the public who have applied to attend.
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