Taiwan has signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to become a founding member of a fund to promote gender equality, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
The announcement of Taiwan joining the Action for Equality and Gender Multi-donor Cooperation Fund (A4EG) came a day after the document was signed by Sharon Wu (吳尚年), director-general of the ministry’s Department of International Organizations, and Otto Camilia, the bank’s director of donor cofinancing, at an event in Taipei, the ministry said.
Ministry officials and a seven-member EBRD delegation led by bank Secretary-General Kazuhiko Koguchi discussed cooperation on aid to Ukraine and facilitating economic links between Taiwan and developing economies, Wu said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
A4EG is to be dedicated to promoting gender equality and the economic well-being of underprivileged groups, particularly those living in Ukraine, she said.
The officials also discussed plans to facilitate cooperation between Taiwan and developing economies in areas such as information technology, smart city programs and information security, she said.
The EBRD, established in 1991 and headquartered in London, is one of the most important financial institutions for multilateral development serving countries in central and eastern Europe, central and west Asia, and north Africa, where it has invested more than 160 billion euros (US$165.98 billion) in more than 6,000 projects.
Taiwan has participated in more than 400 EBRD initiatives through the ministry-run International Development and Cooperation Fund since 1991, providing more than 250 million euros for technical cooperation projects and investment cofinancing.
Additional reporting by CNA
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