October 25, 2023
No. 365
Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu hosted a banquet at the Taipei Guest House on the evening of October 24 to welcome the Lithuanian delegation led by Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen. Earlier in the evening, Minister Wu and Speaker Čmilytė-Nielsen witnessed the signing of an MOU on bilateral health cooperation. Deputy Minister of Finance Juan Ching-hwa and Lithuanian Vice Minister of Finance Vaida Markevičienė also announced that Taiwan and Lithuania had reached a consensus on an agreement to eliminate double taxation and prevent tax evasion and avoidance. Once signed, the agreement will create an environment conducive to business investment from both sides.
After welcoming the delegation, Minister Wu stressed that Speaker Čmilytė-Nielsen’s visit was a significant milestone in bilateral relations. He observed that Taiwan and Lithuania not only worked together to defend democracy and freedom and counter authoritarianism but had also deepened exchanges in the financial, digital, and other sectors, bolstering the resilience of democratic supply chains.
In her remarks, Speaker Čmilytė-Nielsen said she had been touched by the hospitality and friendship she had received from the Taiwanese people since her arrival on Sunday, adding that the experience had strengthened her belief that democratic partners must work in solidarity to jointly counter the current challenges to the common values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. She noted that the friendship and unity between Taiwan and Lithuania would further strengthen global democracy.
The two sides exchanged views on a broad range of issues, including finance, economics, culture, security, and joint efforts to assist Ukraine. Taiwan and Lithuania are united by a common faith in democracy. Both on the front lines against authoritarian expansionism, the two countries are natural partners.
So far this year, four Lithuanian vice ministers have visited Taiwan. The countries have also signed four MOUs on cooperation and engaged in dialogues on economics and agriculture. Bilateral relations have continued to flourish in multiple spheres. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will build on these excellent foundations to further expand comprehensive exchanges across all domains. (E)