Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Kestutis Budrys on Monday lauded his country’s good relations with Taiwan, and said he hoped to expand cooperation and build “strategic partnerships” with Taiwan amid increasing threats from authoritarian regimes.
Asked to comment on Lithuania’s policy toward Taiwan during a think tank event in Washington, Budrys told reporters that the two sides already have “really good cooperation.”
“And we are looking forward to expanding it, and especially in the sectors and fields where we need technological cooperation to [make] us stronger,” he said.
Photo: CNA
The two sides have to build strategic partnerships, in particular in fields “targeted by authoritarian regimes across the globe,” he said, without elaborating.
Lithuania and Taiwan are connected by “cooperation and an intense partnership” because of Russia and China, and the fates of the Indo-Pacific region and Europe are closely intertwined, he said.
When a major conflict occurs in the Indo-Pacific region, it is bound to have consequences for Europe, and if something were to happen on the NATO side with Russia, there would also be consequences for the Indo-Pacific region, he said.
Beijing could even learn from Moscow’s example and do the same in the Indo-Pacific region, Budrys said.
That is why he understood the US’ ongoing push for European countries to boost their defense spending, Budrys said, stressing the “peace through strength” concept.
Budrys is a security expert who has served as Lithuania’s foreign minister since a new government took over in the Baltic country on Dec. 12 last year.
The ties between Lithuania and Taiwan have warmed up in recent years after both countries opened reciprocal representative offices.
Beijing strongly objected to Lithuania’s 2021 decision to include the name “Taiwanese” in Taiwan’s representative office in Lithuania, because it implies that Taiwan is a sovereign country, separate from China.
China responded by recalling its ambassador to Vilnius, expelling Lithuania’s ambassador to Beijing, suspending direct freight rail service to Lithuania and severely restricting Lithuanian exports’ access to the Chinese market.
Although Lithuania tried to restore diplomatic links with China after the new government assumed power late last year, it has remained insistent on not changing the name of Taiwan’s representative office in Vilnius.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
RSS