The government today said it had received confirmation Morocco resumed accepting tourism visa applications from Taiwanese passport holders last week, two months after abruptly suspending the process in July.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that a staffer at its office in Tokyo called the Moroccan Embassy in Japan on Friday, and was informed that it had officially resumed accepting applications for Taiwanese travelers' Visa Confirmation Letters (VCLs) beginning on Monday last week.
Photo: AFP
However, as the Moroccan embassy has still not resumed VCL applications for non-tourism purposes, the ministry said it would not accept visa applications from Moroccans until such restrictions are lifted.
The statement came after a local travel agency announced over the weekend that the Moroccan Embassy in Japan had told the agency it was resuming visa applications from Taiwanese.
The Moroccan Embassy in Japan first suspended its VCL review process for Taiwanese travelers on July 23, but did not give a reason for the move.
Citing the principle of reciprocity, the ministry later announced that it would suspend processing visa applications from Moroccans, effective from July 31, except for special projects approved by the government.
The ministry said at the time that the Moroccan government's decision had seriously affected two-way exchanges, adding that Taiwanese passport holders could obtain a VCL only through the Moroccan Embassy in Japan and are ineligible for a Moroccan e-visa.
Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) on Wednesday said decommissioned coast guard vessels were given to the Philippines to enhance regional rescue capacity and would not affect Taiwanese fishers’ rights and benefits. Kuan made the remarks after confirmation on Tuesday that a 500-tonne Coast Guard Administration (CGA) patrol and rescue vessel would be given to the Philippine Coast Guard. The donation ceremony was reportedly done in Manila, but whether the vessel — previously numbered “CG123” and named Kinmen (金門) — has been handed over has yet to be confirmed. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) on Wednesday criticized the donation for “taking
UPDATE: The submarine would need to undergo combined systems testing and crew training for navy personnel before it is ready for mission, an expert said Taiwan’s first domestically built submarine, the Hai Kun (Narwhal, 海鯤), could be delivered to the navy as early as next month, military expert and Taiwan Association for Security and Development chairman Chi Tung-yun (紀東昀) said yesterday. The submarine was yesterday morning observed departing for its 21st sea trial and its 15th submerged test. The vessel missed the initial delivery deadline of November last year due to “testing delays,” its primary contractor, shipbuilder CSBC Corp, Taiwan, said in June. The contractor also cited “political pressure from China” in procuring critical equipment. All testing operations are in the final stages, with the
Six NT$10 million (US$315,527) special prizes and seven NT$2 million grand prizes in Taiwan's May-June uniform invoice lottery remained unclaimed as of today, including one NT$10 million winner who spent only NT$10 on an Uber Eats delivery order, the Ministry of Finance said. The ministry said the 13 winners need to claim their prizes by Nov. 5. The eight-digit serial number that won the NT$10 million special prize for May-June was 38548029, with 18 winning receipts in total. The NT$2 million grand prize number was 10138845, of which there were 22 winning receipts, the ministry said. In addition to the receipt issued for an
The Ministry of Finance today announced the winning numbers for the July-August uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$314,663) special prize is 89996565, while the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 91098182. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 54348835, 44991397 and 06595111. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits qualify for the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers are eligible for the NT$4,000 fourth prize,