November 9, 2015
No. 252
Premysl Sobotka, First Vice President of the Senate of the Czech Republic, will lead a four-member parliamentary delegation to the Republic of China (Taiwan) from November 9 to 13, 2015, at the invitation of the Legislative Yuan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The visit will promote parliamentary exchanges and give the delegation a better understanding of Taiwan’s current developments in the areas of politics, the economy, culture, public health, welfare, and cross-strait relations.
The other delegation members are Senator Jan Hornik; Senator Petr Bratsky; and Mr. Petr Kostka, Advisor to First Vice President Sobotka. This is the first visit to Taiwan by First Vice President Sobotka and Advisor Kostka, and the second by Senator Hornik and Senator Bratsky.
During their stay, the delegation will have an audience with President Ma Ying-jeou; call at the Legislative Yuan, which will honor them with a welcome dinner; and meet with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Vanessa Y. P. Shih, who will host a luncheon for them. They will also call at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Mainland Affairs Council, National Development Council, Hsinchu Science Park Bureau, and Foxconn Technology Group. They will tour the National Palace Museum, Taiwan Excellence Pavilion, National Center for Traditional Arts, King Car Whisky Distillery, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei 101, and other sites of cultural interest.
Taiwan and the Czech Republic enjoy close and friendly relations built upon their shared values of freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights. In recent years, bilateral cooperation and exchanges have grown steadily across the gamut, spanning trade and investment, culture, education, and high technology. The Czech Republic remains a key trading partner of Taiwan in central Europe. In addition, Taiwanese IT firms have invested a total of US$563 million in Czech manufacturing industries, creating about 19,500 employment opportunities locally. (E)