Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) would visit Brussels during her planned European tour that begins today and visit the European Parliament, the Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium said.
It is to be the first time a former Taiwanese head of state has visited Brussels, home to the headquarters of the EU and one of the locations of the European Parliament.
Tsai’s office announced earlier this week that the former president would depart Taiwan for the Czech Republic today and deliver a speech at the Forum 2000 conference being held in Prague from tomorrow to Tuesday.
Photo: Presidential Office, via AP
It is Tsai’s first overseas trip since concluding her two four-year terms in office in May.
Taiwan’s representative office in the EU and Belgium on Thursday said that in addition to attending Forum 2000, Tsai would also travel to Brussels, where she would visit its European Parliament and meet new members of the assembly.
In the past few years, the European Parliament has been a strong supporter of Taiwan’s democracy, advocating for deeper engagement between Taiwan and the bloc.
During her presidency from 2016 to this year, Tsai advocated the negotiation of bilateral trade and investment agreements with the EU, and witnessed the previous European Parliament pass several resolutions urging EU administrative institutions to respond with action, to no avail to date.
The new European Parliament, which was elected in June, began its current session in July.
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