February 1, 2023
No. 025
Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu and Speaker of the Czech Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová held a videoconference on February 1, 2023. During the meeting, they reaffirmed the democratic partnership and friendly relations between Taiwan and the Czech Republic, discussed Speaker Adamová’s plans to lead a delegation to Taiwan in March, and exchanged views on recent developments in bilateral relations and a wide range of cooperation issues.
Minister Wu began by welcoming the forthcoming visit to Taiwan by the delegation led by Speaker Adamová at the end of March. He then fondly recalled his meeting with her in the Czech Republic in 2021, during which they exchanged views on democratic development and a number of bilateral cooperation issues. Minister Wu said that he was pleased to see Taiwan-Czech exchanges and cooperation in various domains continue to advance and deepen. Moreover, he added that he was heartened that the Czech Republic is not afraid to stand against coercion from authoritarian regimes and that it upholds the values of freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights, as well as continuing to promote friendly bilateral ties. Minister Wu stated that the people of Taiwan deeply admire and respect the Czech Republic. He also thanked the Czech Republic for safeguarding shared values and ideals and for working with Taiwan to support and assist Ukraine. Taiwan will continue to defend democratic values and promote cooperation across all domains with the Czech Republic.
Speaker Adamová expressed high hopes for her upcoming visit to Taiwan and mentioned the recent phone call between Czech President-elect Petr Pavel and President Tsai Ing-wen, highlighting the Czech Republic’s support for Taiwan and the power of democratic unity. She stated that she was confident that, building on this foundation, friendly relations between Taiwan and the Czech Republic would only continue to grow and deepen. Speaker Adamová also lauded Taiwan’s assistance to Ukraine and said she believes that there will be even more room for sharing and cooperation in the future when assisting Ukraine with postwar reconstruction.
During the 20-minute videoconference, Minister Wu and Speaker Adamová also exchanged in-depth views on issues such as the National Palace Museum in Taiwan and the Czech National Museum holding mutual exhibitions, industrial cooperation, and responding to hybrid authoritarian threats. The meeting was friendly and collaborative.
Taiwan and the Czech Republic are like-minded partners that have established close cooperation in numerous areas and jointly faced major international challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the supply chain crisis, and the Russia-Ukraine war. The government and people of the Czech Republic regard Taiwan as an important democratic partner. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is committed to continuing to deepen exchanges and cooperation at all levels to promote the prosperity of Taiwan and the Czech Republic and the well-being of their peoples. (E)