November 3, 2015
No. 244
A delegation from the Estonia-Taiwan Friendship Group will visit Taiwan from Nov. 2 through Nov. 6. Composed of Members of the Estonian Parliament Deniss Boroditš, Mihhail Korb, and Viktoria Ladõnskaja, the delegation will meet with members of Taiwan’s political and business communities, the better to understand the situation in Taiwan. Among them, Boroditš, a lawyer by training, is a key voice for Taiwan in the Estonian Parliament and is looking to strengthen Taiwan-Estonia trade ties.
The delegation will visit the Legislative Yuan and the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association will each host a luncheon for the delegation. The Estonians will then attend the Fourth Estonia-Taiwan Business Forum. Begun with the 2012 signing of a cooperation agreement, this annual meeting is a place where businesses from both nations can seek to cooperate and create business opportunities in a win-win situation.
The parliamentarians will also call at the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), Hsinchu Science Park, Taipei Association of Travel Agents, Taiwan Television Enterprise, Ltd., a number of concerns in the food and energy industries. To further enhance their understanding of Taiwan’s culture, the delegation members will also tour cultural attractions and tourist destinations such as the National Palace Museum, Taipei 101 building, and Raohe St. Tourist Night Market.
It is hoped that this visit will enhance delegation members’, and by extension Estonia’s, understanding of Taiwan’s recent political, economic, and social development as well as the progress made in improving cross-strait relations, and promote greater bilateral exchanges in the areas of culture, tourism, trade, and parliamentary interaction.
Trade and cultural ties between Taiwan and Estonia have grown steadily over the past few years. Two-way trade in 2014 amounted to US$167 million, with Estonian imports from Taiwan accounting for US$130 million, and Taiwan imports from Estonia for US$37 million. (E)