Deputy Minister François Chih-chung Wu hosted a reception July 9 in Taipei City for the first delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2026 European Valued Important Partnership program.
Visiting Taiwan July 5-14, the group comprised European parliamentary aides hailing from Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and the U.K.
Wu said Taiwan-Europe ties have continued to rise, as evidenced by increasing reciprocal high-level visits, parliamentary exchanges and trade partnership. Europe is an important source of foreign direct investment to Taiwan, with two-way trade amounting to nearly US$75 billion in 2025 and demonstrating mutual trust and joint forging of resilient and trusted supply chains, he added.
The Taiwan Culture in Europe 2026 series of events is currently underway, the deputy minister noted, adding that there are also plans to establish language and culture centers across Europe to expand people-to-people exchange. In the face of authoritarian regimes’ challenges to the international order and regional peace, Wu said Taiwan will continue to strengthen cooperation with European partners to uphold shared values of freedom, democracy and respect for the rule of law.
Vice presidential advisor to the Spanish Congress of Deputies and head of the delegation, Belén Montes García said all delegates see Taiwan and Europe as partners in democracy. She added that what matters is not a country’s size but the values it adheres to and its contributions to the international community. Taiwan’s democracy, innovation and resilience show that technological development can advance alongside freedom and international cooperation, she stated.
The MOFA said that it is partnering with the Taiwan International Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) for the first time to implement the EVIP program. Focused on digital governance, the program selects participants to gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s democratic resilience, open government, digital engagement and public-private partnership in promoting innovation. (SFC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
Visiting Taiwan July 5-14, the group comprised European parliamentary aides hailing from Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and the U.K.
Wu said Taiwan-Europe ties have continued to rise, as evidenced by increasing reciprocal high-level visits, parliamentary exchanges and trade partnership. Europe is an important source of foreign direct investment to Taiwan, with two-way trade amounting to nearly US$75 billion in 2025 and demonstrating mutual trust and joint forging of resilient and trusted supply chains, he added.
The Taiwan Culture in Europe 2026 series of events is currently underway, the deputy minister noted, adding that there are also plans to establish language and culture centers across Europe to expand people-to-people exchange. In the face of authoritarian regimes’ challenges to the international order and regional peace, Wu said Taiwan will continue to strengthen cooperation with European partners to uphold shared values of freedom, democracy and respect for the rule of law.
Vice presidential advisor to the Spanish Congress of Deputies and head of the delegation, Belén Montes García said all delegates see Taiwan and Europe as partners in democracy. She added that what matters is not a country’s size but the values it adheres to and its contributions to the international community. Taiwan’s democracy, innovation and resilience show that technological development can advance alongside freedom and international cooperation, she stated.
The MOFA said that it is partnering with the Taiwan International Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) for the first time to implement the EVIP program. Focused on digital governance, the program selects participants to gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s democratic resilience, open government, digital engagement and public-private partnership in promoting innovation. (SFC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
from Taiwan Today – Top News