March 4, 2015
No. 032
A delegation led by Mr. Bas Belder, Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament, will visit the Republic of China (Taiwan) from March 3 to 6, 2015, at the invitation of the ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The delegation will call at the Legislative Yuan, National Security Bureau, Mainland Affairs Council, Straits Exchange Foundation, and Taiwan External Trade Development Council. In addition, the delegation will visit Academia Sinica, the Taipei Forum Foundation, and the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Vanessa Y. P. Shih will host a banquet in their honor. This trip will provide the delegation with an opportunity to gain a better understanding of Taiwan’s current political and economic trends, as well as recent developments in cross-strait relations.
Over the past few years, the European Parliament has adopted numerous resolutions in favor of Taiwan. It played an important role in securing Schengen visa waiver for ROC passport holders, supported Taiwan’s meaningful participation in such international organizations as the International Civil Aviation Organization, and backed the East China Sea Peace Initiative. In addition, many members of the European Parliament have voiced support for Taiwan by issuing statements, submitting oral and written questions, and sending joint letters. Mr. Belder has long been a close friend of Taiwan, and has visited the country multiple times. He supports the principles of the East China Sea Peace Initiative and our position on the South China Sea. He also backs Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations and has praised positive developments across the Taiwan Strait. Indeed, Mr. Belder has been a leading figure in the deepening of cordial ties between Taiwan and the European Parliament. (E)