Premier Chen Chien-jen on Thursday received a delegation from the Estonian parliament's Estonia-Taiwan Support Group. The premier thanked Estonia for taking concrete actions every year since 2020 to support Taiwan's meaningful participation in the World Health Organization, and said he greatly looks forward to expanding cooperation and exchanges in areas of shared interest, including information and communications security, military technology R&D, national defense mobilization, and the software networking industry.
Taiwan and Estonia are both threatened by authoritarian neighbors and stand on the frontlines of democracy, the premier said, while both nations also share in common the values of human rights and the rule of law. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan has actively participated in the international condemnation of and sanctions against Russia since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, and has provided Ukraine with a wide range of humanitarian assistance. The premier looks forward to cooperating with Estonia in the future recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, and said he is confident that Taiwan's partnership with Estonia will become more solid, sustainable and resilient.
Kristo Enn Vaga, chair of the Estonia-Taiwan Support Group, said in his remarks that both countries face very unpredictable, bigger neighbors. But despite this pressure, Taiwan still finds time and resources to help a country in need—Ukraine—and this shows Taiwan's attitude and willingness to stand for democracies all over the world. Chair Vaga pointed out that Estonia and Taiwan have a lot of knowledge to share in this area, to help each other stand against authoritarian regimes so that eventually democracy will prevail.
Chair Vaga said Estonia and Taiwan are likeminded in their desire to use new technology for the greater good of their societies and to strengthen their economies. He said the delegation during its visit has obtained much practical information that can be taken back to Estonia to initiate deeper cooperation, especially in the information and communications technology sector. He added that Estonia is eager to cooperate with Taiwan's public and private sectors, science parks and universities.