Premier Chen Chien-jen on Monday received a delegation led by Viktorija milyt-Nielsen, speaker of the Lithuanian parliament. The premier said this is the first occasion that a sitting speaker of the Lithuanian parliament has visited Taiwan, which demonstrates to the world Lithuania's staunch commitment to supporting freedom and democracy around the globe.
The premier said Taiwan and Lithuania continue to strengthen their bilateral cooperation, and he pointed out that the two nations have already signed three memorandums of understanding (MOUs) this year regarding collaboration on lasers, agriculture, and scientific and technological research and development. The premier also expressed gratitude for Lithuania's support for Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization. He noted that Speaker milyt-Nielsen during this visit will witness the signing of another MOU on health cooperation, which will further strengthen the two nations' foundation for future collaboration. Under this framework, he also anticipates the possibility of working together to provide Ukraine with health-related assistance.
In her remarks, Speaker milyt-Nielsen said Lithuania sees Taiwan as an important partner and has recently published its Indo-Pacific strategy, which seeks to develop and strengthen Lithuania's ties in the region. The strategy is important for strengthening the international rules-based order, which is currently being tested and put under pressure, most obviously by Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Speaker milyt-Nielsen also expressed appreciation to Taiwan for participating in reconstruction projects in Ukraine, including a kindergarten and a school, and added that she hopes there will be more to come.
Speaker milyt-Nielsen said that ties between Lithuania and Taiwan have really taken off during the past couple of years and some significant progress has already been made, including in the areas of health care, the economy, lasers and high tech. The delegation hopes to meet with a lot of potential partners during this visit and achieve another breakthrough in collaboration. Speaker milyt-Nielsen added she believes cooperation between Lithuania and Taiwan can become a success story that other countries, specifically in Europe, could look to emulate.