Taiwan’s Representative to Israel Abby Lee (李雅萍) recently visited Eilat in southern Israel to promote bilateral exchanges in fields including green energy development.
The visit symbolizes a starting point for cooperation between the two sides, Lee told Eilat Mayor Eli Lankri during a discussion on March 20 that centered on environmental sustainability, clean energy, tourism and smart, resilient cities.
Lee said she was pleased to see the relationship between the cities of both countries tighten in recent years, most notably through the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) and the Smart City Summit and Expo.
Photo courtesy of Taiwan’s representative office in Israel
During those events, Taiwan gained invaluable insights into how local governments in Israel address issues relating to climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and social resilience, she said, while expressing hope that mutual exchanges would continue.
The Taiwanese envoy also highlighted the 34 cooperation agreements signed between the two countries that cover a wide range of fields, including trade, culture, tourism, technology and environmental protection.
Eilat is a major tourism hub in Israel, attracting about 3 million domestic and international visitors annually, Lankri said, adding that the city is working to become a smart green energy city, with initiatives such as promoting solar power generation and building smart green buildings to achieve net zero carbon emissions.
Although Eilat’s economy has faced challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the country’s conflict with Hamas, the city is confident that it would revitalize local tourism and warmly welcome Taiwanese visitors, he added.
Eilat is Israel’s southernmost city, located on the northern tip of the Red Sea.
Known for its warm climate, coral reefs and marine snorkeling activities, Eilat not only has abundant tourism resources along its bay, but has experienced rapid development in recent years in fields such as smart agriculture, renewable energy and marine conservation.
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