Lithuanian Parliament Speaker Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen yesterday highlighted the shared values that have brought Vilnius and Taipei closer while stressing the importance of continued economic cooperation in a speech at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei.
“Both Taiwan and Lithuania are guided by the belief that people are the creators of their own destiny,” Cmilyte-Nielsen, who is the first sitting Lithuanian speaker to visit Taiwan, said in her speech titled “Beyond Borders: Vitality of Democratic Cooperation.”
Taiwan and Lithuania “share a goal of preserving the principles of democracy,” which serves as “our common ground” and a foundation for a relationship that “transcends geographical distances,” she said.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
“I truly believe that shared values can bridge the largest geographical distances and bring people together,” she said, adding that fostering strong relations between democracies is more important than ever in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Describing cooperation between Taiwan and Lithuania as “a litmus test” to other democratic nations, Cmilyte-Nielsen underscored the importance of the two nations continuing to develop their economic ties.
Several EU nations are watching closely whether cooperation between Taiwan and Lithuania will yield specific economic and investment results, she said.
Photo: CNA
“Together, we must show that collaboration between democracies is both right and mutually beneficial,” she said.
The “partnership between Lithuania and Taiwan must become a success story,” she said.
Touting the Baltic nation’s advanced laser manufacturing, life sciences, cybersecurity and fintech sectors, she said that Lithuania would be an excellent partner for Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific stakeholders seeking to expand their high-tech business in Europe.
In July 2021, Taiwan and Lithuania announced plans to open a reciprocal representative office in each other’s capital to strengthen bilateral relations.
Since then, both sides have worked together to tackle various global challenges, she said, adding that later that same year, Lithuania donated 25,5900 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan.
Most recently, the two sides have jointly funded the reconstruction of a kindergarten in Ukraine that was badly damaged by the protracted war in the country, she added.
Despite warmer ties with Taiwan, Lithuania has come under heavy political and economic pressure from China following a decision to allow Taiwan’s representative office in Vilnius, which opened on Nov. 18, 2021, to include the word “Taiwanese” in its name.
Taiwan typically names its overseas representative offices “Taipei Economic and Cultural Office” or “Taipei Representative Office,” in keeping with the host countries’ preference to avoid any references that imply Taiwan is a separate country from China.
Cmilyte-Nielsen also received a parliamentary medal of honor for diplomacy from her Taiwanese counterpart, You Si-kun (游錫?), in recognition of her “tremendous contributions to supporting Taiwan.”
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