Taiwan has donated US$5 million to Lithuanian-led reconstruction projects in Ukraine, a Lithuanian government investment agency said on Wednesday.
The funds would be spent rebuilding a school in Borodianka and a kindergarden in Irpin, the Central Project Management Agency said in a statement.
The Lithuanian government has spent 9.8 million euros (US$10.6 million) on the projects and the Taiwanese contribution would be used to purchase educational equipment, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Representative Office in Bratislava via CNA
“Taiwan sees Ukraine as our own image on a different continent. We both face authoritarian regimes which do not shy from using force to impose their world view,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Roy Lee (李淳) said when announcing the donation in Vilnius.
“If one day Taiwan is facing an increased level of military intimidation from China, we will be looking for your assistance as well, just as we are helping Ukraine,” he said.
China last year downgraded its diplomatic ties with Lithuania, and told multinationals to sever ties with Lithuania or face being shut out of the Chinese market, after the opening of a representative office by Taiwan in Vilnius.
In response, the EU launched a challenge at the WTO, accusing China of discriminatory trade practices against Lithuania that it says threaten the integrity of the EU single market.
The challenge was joined by the US, the UK and Australia.
Meanwhile, the National Institute for Cyber Security and the Lithuanian Innovation Agency on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that seeks to mutually boost the digital resilience of both nations.
The MOU was signed by Lithuanian Innovation Agency Director Romualda Stragiene and National Institute for Cyber Security head Ho Chuan-te (何全德) using an external communication adapter during a videoconference.
Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang (唐鳳), who was also present at the ceremony, said the use of the adapter marked a bilateral milestone as it was issued by the Ministry of Digital Affairs and recognized by Lithuania.
In addition to strengthening mutual digital resilience, the memorandum also aims to boost bilateral cooperation and talent exchanges, Tang said.
Tang said she hopes the MOU would advance tangible partnerships between the two nations, which are both on the frontline of opposing authoritarian regimes.
Tang met with Lithuanian Minister of the Economy and Innovation Ausrine Armonaite in January, when they exchanged ideas on topics such as satellite technology, cybersecurity and financial technology, which led to the MOU.
While Tang served as Taiwan’s observer at the ceremony, her counterpart was Lithuanian Vice Minister of Economy and Innovation Karolis Zemaitis.
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