Premier Su Tseng-chang on Thursday received a French delegation led by Senator Jol Guerriau, deputy chairman of the Senate's Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces Committee and deputy chairman of the Senate's France-Taiwan Friendship Group. The premier thanked the delegation for supporting Taiwan and advocating for Taiwan's participation in international activities. The premier noted the Legislative Yuan in 2022 passed an amendment bill to reduce import tariffs on French Champagne, demonstrating a virtuous cycle between the two nations. He hopes Taiwan and France can continue engaging in mutual assistance and cooperation across various fields, to the benefit of both countries.
Thursday's French delegation was the first to visit since this year's presidential election in France, and follows earlier visits from a Senate delegation in October and a National Assembly delegation in December. These three French parliamentary visits within nine months affirm the close friendship shared between our two nations. The premier thanked Senator Guerriau and the visiting lawmakers for repeatedly advocating for Taiwan's participation in international affairs and expressing their support for Taiwan, whether through such actions as speaking at inquiries or passing resolutions in the French Parliament. Their efforts have not only advanced Taiwan-France relations, but also raised international appreciation of Taiwan's situation.
The French Parliament attaches great value to our relationship and has passed many Taiwan-friendly resolutions, the premier said. Our Legislature, in response, passed an amendment this year to lower the import tariff on French Champagne from 20% to 10%, which has already taken effect. This demonstrates a virtuous cycle of action between Taiwan and France. Premier Su expressed hope that future visits from French government officials will see the two sides exchange ideas on a variety of topics. He also looks forward to Taiwan and France working together to preserve freedom and peace while furthering collaborations in technology, semiconductors and other fields that promote mutual benefits between the two countries.
The French delegation also included Senator Vincent bl (deputy chairman of the Finance Committee), Senator Sylvie Goy-Chavent (member of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces Committee), Senator Dany Wattebled (member of the Law Committee), Senator Ludovic Haye (member of the Law Committee and the European Affairs Committee), and Elie Abi Saad (assistant to Senator Guerriau).