A delegation of French Polynesian politicians is making a first visit to Taiwan in nearly 40 years to boost exchanges, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
The seven-member delegation includes Teva Rohfritsch, one of French Polynesia’s two senators in the French Senate, as well as former presidents Gaston Tong Sang and Edouard Fritch. They are visiting Taiwan until Saturday, the ministry said.
The last visit to Taiwan by a French Polynesian parliamentary delegation was in 1987.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
During the six-day trip, the delegation is to visit several government agencies, including the Ministry of Education, Council of Indigenous Peoples and Ministry of Agriculture.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) is to host the delegation at a banquet, the foreign ministry said.
The group also plans to visit the Ita Thao community at Sun Moon Lake in Nantou County to experience indigenous culture and travel to the Ocean Affairs Council in Kaohsiung to learn about the nation’s marine culture, it said.
French Polynesia is an overseas collectivity of France.
Its legislature is the single-chamber French Polynesia Assembly.
France’s president is the head of state in French Polynesia, represented locally by a high commissioner appointed by Paris. The high commissioner oversees defense, foreign affairs and justice. The government is led by the president of French Polynesia, who is supported by a Cabinet known as the Council of Ministers.
Meanwhile, Tuvaluan Parliament Speaker Iakoba Italeli arrived in Taiwan yesterday for a nine-day visit to attend a regional lawmakers assembly in Taipei, the ministry said.
Italeli arrived yesterday morning at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport with a six-member delegation that included his wife and Tuvalu lawmaker Seve Paeniu. They were welcomed by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ger Baushuan (葛葆萱), the foreign ministry said.
During their stay the delegation is to meet President William Lai (賴清德) and Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), and attend a reception hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), it said.
Italeli is making his second visit to Taiwan since becoming speaker in February last year, it added.
The delegation is in Taiwan mainly to attend the 53rd General Assembly of the Asian-Pacific Parliamentarians’ Union (APPU).
The APPU was founded in 1965 as the Asian Parliamentarians’ Union by lawmakers from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Thailand, with the aim of promoting freedom and democracy to help secure peace and prosperity in Asia, according to its Web site.
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