Former Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis is making his first visit to Taiwan from yesterday through Thursday, during which he would meet with President William Lai (賴清德) and receive a government honor to recognize his contributions in promoting closer ties between the two countries.
During his five-day stay in Taiwan, Landsbergis, the top Lithuanian diplomat from December 2020 until November last year, would receive the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon from Lai, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a press release.
The honor recognizes outstanding contributions to the development of the nation and can be given to Taiwanese as well as foreign nationals.
Photo: CNA
Landsbergis would also speak at National Taiwan University (NTU) on Wednesday afternoon on the topic of “Prospects for Lithuania-Taiwan Relations and the Lessons of Russia’s War on Ukraine,” according to an NTU announcement.
MOFA called Landsbergis a “staunch supporter” of Taiwan during his tenure as Lithuanian foreign minister. Under his leadership, the Baltic state donated COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan and allowed Taiwan to open a representative office in Vilnius under the name “Taiwanese.”
Landsbergis also published opinion pieces in international media calling on global support of Taiwan during China’s military exercises surrounding it in 2022, following the visit of then-US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi, MOFA added.
Landsbergis was also the chair of the Homeland Union (Lithuanian Christian Democrats) from 2015 until he stepped down from the post after his party lost the parliamentary runoff election in late October to Lithuania’s opposition Social Democratic Party.
Separately, another Lithuanian delegation, led by Vilmantas Vitkauskas, vice-chancellor and the head of the National Crisis Management Center of the Chancellery of the Lithuanian government, and Vilijus Samuila, acting director of the Communication and Cultural Diplomacy Department of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, is visiting Taiwan from yesterday through Saturday.
The two officials are leading a delegation of five non-governmental organization experts specialized in foreign information manipulation and interference to conduct exchanges on counter-disinformation practices with Taiwan, MOFA said in a separate press release.
The group is the first delegation led by Lithuanian officials to visit Taiwan since the Baltic state formed a new government late last year, it added.
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