Premier Su Tseng-chang received a joint delegation representing the National Council of the Slovak Republic and the Bratislava Region on Monday. The premier thanked the Slovak parliament for passing multiple resolutions within the span of a week in 2022 recognizing Taiwan's success in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and supporting Taiwan's inclusion in the World Health Assembly (WHA) and other important international settings. The premier hopes Slovak lawmakers will continue exercising their influence to promote Taiwan-Slovak relations and assist Taiwan's participation in international organizations.
Taiwan and Slovakia possess similar values and beliefs, the premier said, and have interacted often in recent months. For example, National Development Council Minister Kung Ming-hsin headed a Taiwanese delegation to Slovakia in October 2021. Karol Galek, second state secretary of the Slovak Ministry of Economy, also visited Taiwan in 2021 to hold the first Taiwanese-Slovak Commission on Economic Cooperation. Both countries are willing to further strengthen ties and have signed several memorandums of understanding regarding trade, economics and various other areas.
Premier Su thanked Slovak National Council Deputy Speaker Milan Laurenčik, Slovakia-Taiwan Parliamentary Group Chairman Peter Osusk, and all visiting members of the Slovak government and national parliament for their important influence in passing resolutions last year to support Taiwan's participation as an observer in the WHA. The Foreign Affairs, Health Care, and European Affairs committees of the Slovak parliament also passed separate resolutions within the span of a week this year, affirming Taiwan's successful efforts against COVID-19 and supporting Taiwan's inclusion into the WHA and other important international occasions.
Premier Su also thanked Bratislava Region President Juraj Droba for promoting an avoidance of double taxation pact and other important bilateral agreements during his time as a member of the national parliament. For this trip to Taiwan, Mr. Droba will visit Kaohsiung to conclude a partnership agreement with the Kaohsiung City Government, which the premier says will significantly improve relations between Bratislava and the southern port city.
Regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the premier commended Slovakia for its large-scale effort to host Ukrainian refugees. Taiwan has also donated US$2.5 million and many humanitarian supplies to Slovakia to help these refugees. He took this opportunity to thank the Slovak government and national parliament for their assistance in delivering into Ukraine 350 metric tons of supplies donated by Taiwan to aid Ukrainians in need.
Other members of the Slovak delegation included members of parliament Anna Zemanov, Tomš Lehotsk, Miroslav Žiak and Andrej Stančk; Malacky (Bratislava Region) Mayor and Bratislava regional council member Juraj Řha; Bratislava Region chief secretary Andrea Urmaničov; and Bratislava regional official Michaela Kunsk.