August 26, 2023
No. 282
In another joint endeavor to support Ukraine’s reconstruction, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Lithuania have collaborated in rebuilding a kindergarten in Irpin, a suburb of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. The kindergarten, Rūta, which can accommodate 400 children, was officially reopened on Ukraine’s Independence Day, August 24, in time for local children to return to school in September. Outdoor landscapes and playground facilities funded by Taiwan bear images of the R.O.C. (Taiwan) national flag.
During a visit to Lithuania in May, Deputy Foreign Minister Roy Chun Lee announced before the Seimas a US$5 million donation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to go along with Lithuania’s US$7.7 million for a reconstruction initiative in Ukraine being carried out by Lithuania’s Central Project Management Agency. The kindergarten was the first joint project under this initiative. Lithuania covered the reconstruction of buildings while Taiwan allocated €1.2 million (US$1.3 million) of its US$5 million donation for related facilities.
Children are a nation’s future. Numerous schools in Ukraine have been destroyed since the Russian invasion began. Based on a deep sense of solidarity, Taiwan believes that Ukrainian children should not be deprived of their right to education because of an invasion by an authoritarian nation. This was the main consideration in the Taiwan government’s effort to help with the reconstruction of Ukrainian schools.
Taiwan and Ukraine share similar expansionist threats from authoritarian states. The government of Taiwan is pleased to work with Lithuania, a like-minded democracy, to assist with rebuilding schools in Ukraine, sending love and support to students, teachers, and parents suffering from the turmoil of war. Taiwan will continue to cooperate with like-minded international partners to invest resources in Ukraine’s reconstruction and increase the nation’s social resilience. (E)