A Swedish parliamentary delegation arrived in Taiwan yesterday for a visit aimed at enhancing relations between the nations.
The 11-member delegation, led by Boriana Aberg, head of the Swedish-Taiwanese parliamentarian friendship group, and Member of the European Parliament Charlie Weimers, touched down at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 5:23pm.
The group was welcomed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Tseng (曾厚仁). They greeted reporters at the airport, but did not make a statement before leaving.
Photo: EPA-EFE / Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The delegation was originally set to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at the Presidential Office tomorrow, but they are instead to meet virtually, as Tsai is in home quarantine, which she started on Friday after a person she dined with on Monday last week tested positive for COVID-19.
Vice President William Lai (賴清德) is to receive the visitors at the Presidential Office later tomorrow on Tsai’s behalf, Presidential Office spokesperson Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said.
Other members of the delegation include Kerstin Lundgren, deputy speaker of the Swedish Parliament, and Swedish lawmakers Bjorn Soder, Lars Adaktusson, Markus Wiechel, Ann-Sofie Alm, Lars Puss and Alexander Christiansson, among others, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Taiwan has become an increasingly familiar topic on the floor of the Riksdag. In 2019, multiple motions and written requests were made urging Stockholm to pay attention to Taiwan’s 2020 presidential election and formally congratulate the winner.
Aberg three years ago proposed a motion urging the government to support Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.
Then-Swedish prime minister Stefan Lofven in March last year declared in parliament that Taiwan should participate in the WHO.
During a question-and-answer session last month, Wiechel called on his government to enhance diplomatic relations with Taiwan, including by giving its representative office status equal to other countries’ embassies.
Additional reporting by Lu Yi-hsuan
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