President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday presented the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon to former Lithuanian minister of foreign affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Taiwan-Lithuania relations and to thank him for standing with Taiwan to uphold democratic values.
The friendship between Taiwan and Lithuania would hopefully inspire other nations to support democracy and freedom in the face of authoritarianism, Landsbergis said during the meeting with Lai at the Presidential Office in Taipei.
During the COVID-19 epidemic, Lithuania was the first European nation to donate vaccines to Taiwan, an act of kindness that Taiwan “will never forget,” Lai said.
Photo: CNA
The Taiwan Representative Office in Lithuania in the capital, Vilnius, is also the first in Europe to use the name “Taiwan,” with the two nations having seen “fruitful results in such fields as semiconductors, laser technology, finance and medicine,” he said.
Lai said that he hopes to increase bilateral exchanges in trade, science and technology, and culture, as “together, we can contribute even more to our nations’ development, and to peace and prosperity throughout the world.”
Images of the Taiwanese struggle for democracy displayed at the Presidential Office’s permanent exhibition resonate with Lithuania’s own experiences as a former part of the Russian Empire in the 19th century, when it staged many revolutions and revolts alongside Poland and Belarus in the pursuit of freedom, Landsbergis said.
“Not even one generation has passed since these events took place here in Taipei or similar events took place in Vilnius,” he said.
Many of Lithuania’s policymakers are former freedom fighters or stand on the shoulders of their parents who fought for democracy, he said, recalling the 1864 revolution slogan: “For our freedom and yours,” which inspires them to “continue to fight for their freedom while helping Taiwanese fight for [theirs].”
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