Jaushieh Joseph Wu
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
May 7, 2022
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Good morning!
It's a great pleasure to be here with you to celebrate the upcoming Europe Day at 2022 Europe Festival.
I would like to start by thanking you all for contributing to the fast-growing Taiwan-EU relationship. We have witnessed a growing number of like-minded countries in Europe speaking out for Taiwan, to support our international participation, underline the importance of a stable and peaceful Taiwan Strait, and deepen bilateral ties in fields such as critical supplies, trade, and investment. Such achievements would not have been possible without your participation.
Last year, working with you all, MOFA and the people of Taiwan were able to welcome a good number of delegations from Europe. Parliaments in several EU countries passed resolutions supportive of Taiwan's international participation. And as you've all probably heard, the office of Lithuania will soon start operating in Taiwan, which I'm sure will help bring us even closer to friends in East Europe. I am truly grateful for the genuine friendship we share with Europe, and team MOFA stands ready to scale up all cooperation and explore new opportunities with you.
This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty, a symbol of European solidarity and unity. Despite all the hardship and challenge we face in the past and coming years, I have faith that we would all emerge stronger and more united than ever. As a force for good, Taiwan will continue to work back to tack with Europe and all democratic partners in solidarity, to protect the values and way of life we share and cherish.
I know today's highlight is to enjoy and savor the diverse European cultures and delicacies, so I will close here by extending my gratitude to Representative Grzegorzewski and my dear European Representatives, for your long-standing support. May you all enjoy this wonderful event. Thank you.