The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday welcomed a delegation of Polish parliamentarians, a US delegation led by Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and a delegation of Brazilian state parliamentarians to Taiwan.
The Polish delegation is being led by Polish Senate Deputy Marshal Michal Kaminski. It arrived on Monday and is scheduled to depart on Saturday.
The delegation also has six members of the Polish-Taiwanese Parliamentary Group, including its chairman, Krzysztof Truskolaski, its deputy chairwoman, Beata Malecka-Libera, as well as Sejm members Andrzej Gawron, Konrad Frysztak, Krzysztof Lipiec and Lukasz Osmalak.
Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office
Aside from meeting with top government officials, the delegation is scheduled to visit think tanks to discuss issues concerning national defense and security, whole-of-society defense resilience and cognitive warfare with local experts, as well as the Taiwan Space Agency and Hsinchu Science Park, the ministry said.
Kaminski is a true friend of Taiwan and has visited more than once, the ministry said, adding that he has persistently resisted China’s pressure on the Polish Senate.
Polish-Taiwanese Parliamentary Group members have also consistently shown support for Taiwan’s participation in the WHO and the International Civil Aviation Organization, and in May issued a joint statement supporting Taiwan’s meaningful global participation, as well as expressed concern for peace and stability across the Strait, it said.
The delegation met with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday.
Lai welcomed the delegation and thanked them for supporting Taiwan.
Poland and Taiwan both enjoy the universal values of freedom, democracy and peace, Kaminski said, adding that he believes bilateral cooperation would become even closer.
The ministry also welcomed a US delegation led by Stitt, who visited Taiwan from Sunday to yesterday.
During a meeting at the Presidential Office on Monday, Lai said that Taiwan and Oklahoma signed a sisterhood agreement in 1980, and in May, the Oklahoma legislature passed a resolution recognizing the friendly ties between Oklahoma and Taiwan, celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act and supporting the nation’s international participation.
Lai thanked Stitt and the Oklahoma legislature for their high regard and support for Taiwan, including close cooperation across a range of fields.
Stitt and Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) on Monday signed an agreement on economic, energy and trade cooperation between Taiwan and Oklahoma at the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Taipei.
In addition, the foreign ministry said that a delegation of Brazilian state parliamentary members, led by Parliamentary Front Between Sao Paulo and the Republic of China (Taiwan) chairman Gil Diniz, is visiting Taiwan, arriving on Saturday and scheduled to depart today.
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Remus Chen (陳立國) on Monday hosted a luncheon for the delegation, during which he thanked Diniz and members of the Legislative Assembly of Sao Paulo for firmly defending the universal values of freedom, democracy and human rights, and for establishing a friendship group in September last year, despite pressure from China, the foreign ministry said.
Chen and the delegation also exchanged views on the political situation on both sides, cross-strait and regional situations, and ways to bolster bilateral economic and trade, technological, cultural and educational exchanges.
Diniz said he welcomes the expansion of Taiwan-Brazil exchanges, and trade and investment, as well as cultural exchanges and collaborative projects to benefit people in both countries, the foreign ministry cited him as saying.
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