Premier Chen Chien-jen on Wednesday received Franck Paris, the new director of the French Office in Taipei. The premier said that on August 1, French President Emmanuel Macron officially promulgated a seven-year military programming law (LPM) for 2024-2030, reaffirming France's commitment to upholding freedom of navigation on the basis of international maritime law in the Indo-Pacific region, including in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan looks forward to working together with France in efforts to maintain regional security.
The premier said Taiwan and France have already established a solid foundation for collaboration in fields such as scientific research, green energy and high-tech industries. He hopes to work closely with Director Paris and the excellent team at the French Office in Taipei, building upon this foundation to jointly explore new areas of cooperation.
In his remarks, Director Paris said the current international situation demonstrates that peace is quite fragile, and he added that the Taiwan issue is a frequent topic of discussion within international forums. France will continue to pay close attention to regional issues in addition to proactively participating in international discussions to uphold regional stability together with Taiwan.
Director Paris emphasized that France hopes to strengthen its bilateral relationship with Taiwan, deepening cooperation on economic and trade ties and related research fields, as well as sharing the fruits of scientific research. By doing so, both nations can foster a closer relationship and allow the world to gain a better understanding of Taiwan, he said.