Separate parliamentary delegations from Finland and Switzerland arrived in Taiwan yesterday for official visits that are to include meetings with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and other top government officials, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The Finnish delegation is led by Finnish Parliamentary Friendship Group Chair Mikko Karna. The group is to visit the Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區) and the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (台灣半導體研究中心) in Hsinchu City, as well as the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) and Kaohsiung Harbor, before its departure on Thursday.
Karna is “an important friend of Taiwan who firmly supports Taiwan’s democracy, freedom and international participation,” the ministry said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
In the face of expanding authoritarianism, Taiwan would continue to deepen ties with like-minded partners like Finland to strengthen democratic resilience, and safeguard the shared values of freedom and democracy, it said.
Meanwhile, the first two members of a Swiss cross-party delegation arrived for a six-day visit.
Swiss national councilors Fabian Molina and Mustafa Atici of the Social Democratic Party arrived at Taoyuan International Airport just after 6am. The three other members of the delegation — Swiss national councilors Nicolas Walder and Leonore Porchet of the Green Party, and Yves Nidegger of the Swiss People’s Party — were expected to arrive on later flights.
Photo: CNA
Molina and Walder serve as copresidents of the Swiss-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group.
The group is to visit the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the National Development Council, the Mainland Affairs Council, and the National Science and Technology Council, as well as the Hsinchu Science Park.
The Swiss lawmakers would also travel to outlying Kinmen County to visit the sites of historical battles between Taiwan and China, before departing on Friday, the ministry said.
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