The bilateral relationship with Italy is bearing fruit, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday, a day after meeting with a delegation led by Italian Senator Adriano Paroli.
Lin wrote on Facebook that progress has been made in Taiwan-Italian ties and said that he urged the European nation to conduct “freedom of navigation” exercises in the Taiwan Strait.
The delegation consisted of eight lawmakers from the Italian Chamber of Deputies and Senate affiliated with the Italian government and parties in the opposition alliance.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
The delegation was the largest since the Italian parliament began sending groups to Taiwan, showing Italy’s increasing recognition of the value of developing the bilateral relationship with Taiwan, he said.
The Italian parliament in the past few years has launched several pro-Taiwan initiatives, including supporting the nation’s meaningful participation in international organizations with a resolution passed by the chamber’s Foreign Affairs Committee, he said.
In March, the Italian parliament issued its first-ever investigative report on the Indo-Pacific region, which emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Lin said.
Italian senators criticized China’s mischaracterization of UN Resolution 2758 and supported Taiwan’s right to take part in international organizations, he said, adding that Italian lawmakers wrote joint letters backing the nation’s bid to be part of the WHO.
The G7 Leaders’ Summit, chaired by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, issued a joint declaration to reiterate the indispensability of peace in the Taiwan Strait to international security and prosperity, and support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international frameworks and events, he said.
Taiwan recognizes Italy’s acts of goodwill and thanks Italian officials and parliamentarians, Lin said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement quoted Lin as saying that Taiwan “looks forward to Italy sending a vessel through the Taiwan Strait” to help “safeguard freedom of navigation and defend democracy,” adding that Italy recently pledged to expand its presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
The G7 — Italy, the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, France and Japan — have in the past few years sent military vessels through the Taiwan Strait to assert freedom of navigation.
The ministry statement quoted Paroli as saying that he admires Taiwan for its prowess in semiconductor technology and its economy, as well as it being a force for democracy in the Indo-Pacific region, despite its relatively small population.
The Italian delegation hopes its visit to Taiwan would boost bilateral ties, Paroli said, adding that he would continue to promote pro-Taiwan bills and policies, which the Italian public supports.
Chamber of Deputies member Andrea Orsini said in the statement that governments around the world understand the importance of safeguarding peace in the Taiwan Strait and that the Italian government would not abide any unilateral attempts to change the “status quo.”
The other members of the delegation, which arrived in Taiwan on Thursday, were Italian senators Gianpietro Maffoni, Alberto Losacco, Dario Damiani and Cinzia Pellegrino, as well as Luca Squeri and Raffaele Nevi from the Chamber of Deputies.
Yesterday, the delegation met with Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), who called for more exchanges between Taiwan and Italy in the fields of technology, culture, economy and trade.
The group is also scheduled to meet with Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), Vice Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) and other officials, the ministry said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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