December 6, 2021
No. 263
Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu hosted a welcome banquet on December 6 for the Slovak delegation led by State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic Karol Galek, which is attending the first session of the Taiwanese-Slovak Commission on Economic Cooperation. Expressing pleasure that mutual visits continue to strengthen cooperation and exchanges in numerous domains, Minister Wu had an in-depth discussion with the delegation on the postpandemic era and bilateral relations.
In his speech at the welcome banquet, Minister Wu thanked State Secretary Galek for expressing Slovakia’s steadfast support of Taiwan in his opening remarks at the Taiwanese-Slovak Commission on Economic Cooperation. Slovakia’s support is deeply moving and much appreciated. Slovakia’s donation of COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan was another heartwarming gesture, and the people of Taiwan are profoundly grateful. Taiwan also staunchly supports Slovakia and hopes that State Secretary Galek’s visit will further bolster bilateral cooperation and exchanges, increasing momentum for the enhancement of relations.
Minister Wu also remarked on his October visit to Slovakia and other European countries and stated that he was pleased to welcome his Slovak friends to Taiwan. Recently, Taiwan has been cooperating more closely with Central and Eastern European nations in numerous domains. During Minister Wu’s visit to Slovakia, he delivered a public keynote address at the Taiwan Forum, which was organized by Slovak think tank GLOBSEC, where he called on like-minded partners to jointly promote prosperity and resilience in the postpandemic era. Also in October, Minister of National Development Kung Ming-hsin led a delegation to Slovakia and other European countries, signing seven memoranda of understanding with Slovakia and conducting over 170 business-to-business meetings in the country. The visit helped facilitate extensive bilateral cooperation in a number of areas, including the economy, trade, industry, scientific research, and academia, demonstrating that Taiwan-Slovakia relations continue to grow ever closer.
Furthermore, Minister Wu noted that the people of Taiwan were deeply touched by Slovakia’s help, which has made the Slovak brand shine even more brightly. Well-known Slovak wafer cookies and beer have received an especially warm welcome from the people of Taiwan. Minister Wu then once again welcomed State Secretary Galek and the delegation to Taiwan, indicating that the visit would pave the way for closer cooperation and further visits between both sides. He also expressed hope that Taiwan and Slovakia would deepen and broaden cooperation and interactions in the future.
State Secretary Galek also delivered a speech, during which he expressed gratitude for Taiwan’s hospitality. He reminisced about his June 2019 visit to Taiwan with Deputy Speaker of the National Council Lucia Ďuriš Nicholsonová and how Taiwan made a deep impression on him. He stated that he was therefore honored to lead the largest and highest-ranking Slovak delegation ever to visit Taiwan. He emphasized his hope that the visit would further strengthen Taiwan-Slovakia exchanges and cooperation in areas such as the economy, trade, investment, key industries, academic research, and supply chain security. He further noted that Taiwan and Slovakia are both small yet powerful countries and that he believes their free and democratic connection will strengthen exchanges and cooperation, jointly creating a mutually beneficial and prosperous democratic model.
The delegation led by State Secretary Galek arrived in Taiwan on December 5, and the first session of the Taiwanese-Slovak Commission on Economic Cooperation and other related activities began on December 6. Minister Wu wished the delegation every success and presented its members with pineapple cakes made with Taiwan’s “freedom pineapples,” symbolizing the shared values of freedom and democracy underpinning the friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between Taiwan and Slovakia, as well as the continued growth of this fruitful partnership. (E)