October 17, 2017
No.189
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs François Chih-Chung Wu and Mr. Koen Verlaeckt, Secretary-General of the Flanders Department of Foreign Affairs, Belgium, signed a memorandum of understanding on sustainable energy cooperation between Taiwan and Flanders in Brussels on October 17.
The MOU, the first between Taiwan and Belgium in the field of energy, echoes the green energy development plan outlined in the 5+2 Innovative Industries initiative, which has been actively promoted by President Tsai Ing-wen, and highlights the ever closer partnership between Taiwan and Belgium.
The MOU covers policy exchanges in the field of sustainable energy, R&D-based cooperation, as well as trade and investment. The two sides will create business opportunities by strengthening exchanges of information and experience-sharing, and accelerate the process of energy transformation to create sustainable, low-carbon living environments. Both sides also expect the signing of the MOU to advance their cooperative relations.
Jurisdiction for renewable energy administration lies in the hands of each of Belgium’s regional governments. Flanders has striven to develop sources of renewable energy in recent years, and has also recognized Taiwan’s achievements in the same field. During the past two years, Flanders has invited Taiwanese experts in green energy to visit Belgium to share their experience, while MOFA also invited Mr. Verlaeckt and Belgian officials and experts in the field of sustainable energy to visit Taiwan to engage in similar exchanges. (E)