Taiwan is a friend of the world recognized by international partners, Italian Senate Vice President Gian Marco Centinaio said during a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday.
Taiwan and Italy are friendly nations that respect each other and have very important cooperative relationships in economy, culture and politics, Centinaio said.
The Taiwanese government’s efforts both domestically and internationally are well recognized, which is exemplified by continuous visits of international delegations to Taiwan, he said.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan is a friend of the whole world and a friend of Italy, which considers Taiwan a democracy with which Italy can engage on an equal footing, he added.
Echoing a G7 statement that underlined the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, Centinaio said he hoped that the democratic camp can grow stronger around the world.
Tsai welcomed the delegation led by Centinaio, the first Italian parliamentary delegation to Taiwan since a new administration took office in Rome in October last year, and thanked the visitors for showing their support for Taiwan.
Photo: CNA
The Italian parliament passed three pro-Taiwan resolutions last year to underline the importance of cross-strait peace and stability, and support Taiwan’s international participation, she said.
Italy dispatched warships to help safeguard the Indo-Pacific region, while Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani repeatedly voiced support for the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, she added.
Tsai expressed the hope of deepening cooperation with Italy to jointly build a resilient democratic supply chain, as the two sides have different strengths in the semiconductor and high-tech industries.
She also invited Italians to visit Taiwan after flights between Milan and Taipei were launched last year.
Separately, Polish Foreign Affairs Committee Vice Chairwoman Barbara Bartus called for direct flights and cooperation in hydrogen power between Taiwan and Poland during a meeting with Tsai yesterday.
Direct flights would be beneficial to bilateral relations between Taiwan and Poland, a nation with great development potential, Bartus said.
The two sides could cooperate on the hydrogen industry as it is a field Taiwan hopes to develop, while Poland is the third-largest hydrogen energy producer in Europe, she said.
Poland hopes to attract investors from Taiwan and seek cooperation opportunities in research and development, technology transfers and talent cultivation, she added.
Many Taiwanese students are studying in Poland, especially in medicine, Bartus said.
However, these medical students are required to have their academic certificate approved by the Ministry of Education before they can participate in the examination to practice in Taiwan, she said, adding that she hopes the issue can be resolved.
Tsai thanked Poland for donating 400,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan and actively supporting Taiwan’s international participation.
For example, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki openly supported cross-strait peace and stability during a trip to the US in April, she said.
In the same month, 93 lawmakers in the Polish-Taiwanese Parliamentary Group issued a joint statement supporting Taiwan’s international participation, she added.
Taiwan would continue to cooperate with Poland and its neighboring nations to assist Ukraine in its recovery and reconstruction, Tsai said.
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