January 25, 2024
No. 043
Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu hosted a luncheon in honor of a delegation from the Taiwan Friendship Group of the Lithuanian parliament on January 25. He welcomed the members of the delegation and thanked them for visiting soon after Taiwan’s presidential elections on January 13. The visit, he said, demonstrated the generosity of Lithuania’s staunch support for democratic Taiwan, as well as Taiwan and Lithuania’s resolve to work together to deepen democratic resilience.
The 11-member cross-party delegation is comprised of prominent members of the Lithuanian parliament who have long paid close attention to developments in Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific. The group includes Matas Maldeikis, Head of the Taiwan Friendship Group, and three deputy speakers of parliament—Vytautas Mitalas, Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė, and Julius Sabatauskas.
Minister Wu noted that Lithuania was the first European nation to donate COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan and that this concrete action underscored Lithuania’s sincere friendship with Taiwan. He added that the Taiwanese people deeply appreciated and would never forget this gesture. He also stated that Taiwan and Lithuania are both democratic countries standing on the front lines against the threat of authoritarian expansionism that share the values of democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law. The two countries have successfully built a foundation for cooperation in domains such as semiconductors, ultrafast lasers, and biotechnology, and will continue to expand reciprocal and mutually beneficial collaboration in other areas.
Mr. Maldeikis spoke of China’s repeated attempts to interfere in the deepening relations between Taiwan and Lithuania. He reflected on the mutual support the countries had given each other along the way and their firm determination to stand together. He also observed that by working hand in hand and upholding the same values and ideals, Taiwan and Lithuania had garnered recognition in the global democratic community and conveyed to the world their steadfast commitment to freedom and democracy.
Minister Wu and the members of the delegation also exchanged in-depth views on Taiwan-Lithuania collaborations to assist Ukraine, Taiwan-Europe economic and trade relations, Indo-Pacific security and cooperation, countering totalitarian threats, combating disinformation, and other issues. Both sides expressed hope that the partnership between Taiwan and Lithuania would continue to grow and strengthen on the basis of the existing solid foundations. (E)