The Ministry of the Interior yesterday said it is willing to assist Taiwan-based Ukrainian actress and model Larisa Bakurova in her efforts to seek Republic of China (ROC) citizenship.
Bakurova, who has worked in Taiwan for more than seven years and who married a Taiwanese last year, earlier this month said that she had wanted to renounce her Ukrainian nationality and obtain Taiwanese nationality for the past three years, but has been unable to do so at Ukrainian embassies overseas, reportedly because Taiwan and Ukraine do not have formal ties.
Bakurova holds a Taiwanese permanent resident certificate.
Photo: Chen Yi-chuan, Taipei Times
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) questioned Minister of the Interior Chen Wei-zen (陳威仁) over the issue during a legislative session yesterday, in which Chen said that his ministry is “willing to assist” Bakurova.
Wanda Chang (張琬宜), head of the ministry’s Department of Household Registration Affairs, said that as far as her ministry knows, it is the first case involving a Ukrainian citizen seeking ROC citizenship.
Chang said that after Bakurova renounces her Ukrainian nationality and provides the renunciation certificate to the Taiwan government, she can apply to be naturalized as an ROC citizen.
In response to media reports that the Ukrainian government has rejected Bakurova’s application to relinquish her Ukrainian nationality, Chang cited Taiwan’s Nationality Act (國籍法) as saying that if Bakurova cannot obtain the renunciation certificate for reasons beyond her control, and foreign affairs authorities investigate and determine that it is true, then Bakurova does not need to provide the certificate.
Bakurova took to Facebook yesterday to express her gratitude for the support she has received. “I cried... Truly, thank you. Thank you Taiwan,” she wrote.
Bakurova has acted in TV dramas and films, including They Kiss Again, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart and Young Dudes.
Snow fell in the mountainous areas of northern, central and eastern Taiwan in the early hours of yesterday, as cold air currents moved south. In the northern municipality of Taoyuan, snow started falling at about 6am in Fusing District (復興), district head Su Tso-hsi (蘇佐璽) said. By 10am, Lalashan National Forest Recreation Area, as well as Hualing (華陵), Sanguang (三光) and Gaoyi (高義) boroughs had seen snowfall, Su said. In central Taiwan, Shei-Pa National Park in Miaoli County and Hehuanshan National Forest Recreation Area in Nantou County saw snowfall of 5cm and 6cm respectively, by 10am, staff at the parks said. It began snowing
Global bodies should stop excluding Taiwan for political reasons, President William Lai (賴清德) told Pope Francis in a letter, adding that he agrees war has no winners. The Vatican is one of only 12 countries to retain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and Taipei has watched with concern efforts by Beijing and the Holy See to improve ties. In October, the Vatican and China extended an accord on the appointment of Catholic bishops in China for four years, pointing to a new level of trust between the two parties. Lai, writing to the pope in response to the pontiff’s message on Jan. 1’s
HOLIDAY EXERCISE: National forest recreation areas from north to south offer travelers a wide choice of sights to connect with nature and enjoy its benefits Hiking is a good way to improve one’s health, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said, as it released a list of national forest recreation areas that travelers can visit during the Lunar New Year holiday. Taking a green shower of phytoncides in the woods could boost one’s immunity system and metabolism, agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) cited a Japanese study as saying. For people visiting northern Taiwan, Lin recommended the Dongyanshan National Forest Recreation Area in Taoyuan’s Fusing District (復興). Once an important plantation in the north, Dongyanshan (東眼山) has a number of historic monuments, he said. The area is broadly covered by
A Vietnamese migrant worker on Thursday won the NT$12 million (US$383,590) jackpot on a scratch-off lottery ticket she bought from a lottery shop in Changhua County’s Puyan Township (埔鹽), Taiwan Lottery Co said yesterday. The lottery winner, who is in her 30s and married, said she would continue to work in Taiwan and send her winnings to her family in Vietnam to improve their life. More Taiwanese and migrant workers have flocked to the lottery shop on Sec 2 of Jhangshuei Road (彰水路) to share in the luck. The shop owner, surnamed Chen (陳), said that his shop has been open for just
RSS