December 9, 2021
No. 267
Taiwan and Slovakia signed the Protocol of the first session of the Taiwanese-Slovak Commission on Economic Cooperation on December 9, establishing a favorable mechanism for future bilateral exchanges and cooperation in domains such as the economy, trade, education, scientific research, and tourism. This demonstrates that Taiwan’s overall relationship with Europe continues to strengthen.
The visiting Slovak delegation, led by State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy Karol Galek, traveled to Taiwan on a Slovak government plane to attend the first session of the Taiwanese-Slovak Commission on Economic Cooperation. During the visit, Taiwan and Slovakia signed nine memoranda of understanding for cooperation on educational talent exchanges, research and development innovation, trade expansion, science parks, aerospace, tourism, smart cities, and scientific research. Taiwan and Slovakia also advanced industrial connections and economic, trade, and investment ties, continuing to enhance their substantive cooperative partnership.
This October, Minister of National Development Kung Ming-hsin and Minister of Science and Technology Wu Tsung-tsong, together with Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Chen Chern-chyi and Political Deputy Minister of Finance Juan Ching-hwa, led a 66-member trade and investment delegation to Slovakia, signing seven memoranda of understanding with Slovakia and deepening bilateral partnership and cooperation.
During the three-day Taiwanese-Slovak Commission on Economic Cooperation, the two sides held a working group meeting on trade and the economy as well as on education, scientific research, and tourism. The working group meeting on trade and the economy was cochaired by Director General Alex Hao-chih Liao of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) and Director General Boris Škoda of the Support Programs Section of the Ministry of Economy. The meeting was attended by the relevant departments of the MOEA. Taiwan and Slovakia are cooperating on trade, investment, electric vehicles, the green economy, smart cities, digitalization of small and medium-sized enterprises, start-ups, innovative research and development, blockchain technology, and other issues.
The working group on education, scientific research, and tourism was cochaired by Director General Connie Chang of the Department of Overall Planning of the National Development Council of Taiwan and Director General Robert Ševčik of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of Slovakia. The cross-sectoral meeting was attended by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Hsinchu Science Park Administration, National Space Organization of the National Applied Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute, and other government agencies. Representatives from the two countries discussed cooperation on tourism, science parks, aerospace technology, industry-academia connectivity, scientific research, education, and other areas.
In addition, State Secretary Galek and Deputy Minister Chen cochaired the inaugural Taiwan-Slovakia Economic Consultation. Director General for Economic Cooperation Lucia Kišš of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia and Assistant Director General of the Department of European Affairs Chen Yung-shao of MOFA cochaired the sixth Taiwan-Slovakia Director General Level Consultation. The two sides engaged in a full exchange of issues of mutual concern and discussed items of further cooperation. Slovakia unequivocally supports the signing of a bilateral investment agreement between Taiwan and the European Union.
At the 2021 Slovakia Investment and Business Opportunities Forum, an official from the one-stop investment services department at the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency introduced the investment environment in Slovakia and suggested potential investment opportunities in electric vehicle batteries, chip design, blockchain applications, and other sectors. The MOEA Bureau of Foreign Trade held a bilateral business matchmaking event. Taiwanese businesses and their Slovak counterparts engaged in 250 meetings. Areas of potential cooperation that were discussed included electric vehicles, semiconductors and cloud services, smart cities, and blockchain in aerospace.
The in-depth exchange of opinions between Taiwan and Slovakia across different fields was highly productive. The countries have jointly mapped out a blueprint for future cooperation. In accordance with the protocol of the first session, the second session of the Taiwanese-Slovak Commission on Economic Cooperation will be held in Slovakia. Taiwan and Slovakia will continue to deepen bilateral exchanges and interactions and further heighten their partnership.
Based on their shared values of freedom and democracy, Taiwan and Slovakia will strengthen cooperation on economic investment, industrial connectivity, supply chain security, and other areas to jointly enhance the unity and resilience of global democratic partnerships. (E)