A visiting Slovak delegation yesterday reaffirmed ties with Taiwan, with its members saying they hoped collaboration on economic issues and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine would continue.
Slovak Deputy Minister of the Economy Peter Svec and Manuel Korcek, director of the Slovak Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs’ Department of Global Economic Policies, made the comment at a news conference in Taipei to share the outcomes of their visit.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of economic cooperation between Taipei and Bratislava, Svec said, referring to the launch of the Taipei Representative Office in Bratislava and the Slovak Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei in 2003.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Over the two decades, “we have significantly deepened and expanded our ties in all areas of common interest,” he said.
Taiwan is the largest non-EU foreign investor in Slovakia, Korcek said.
Investment is not only about the amount of money put in or the merchandise traded, “but also the question of values,” Svec said.
“Taiwan belongs to the circle of democratic and free countries with which we also share the same civilization values, which is why our partnership is all the more valuable,” he said.
As a member of the EU, NATO and the eurozone, Slovakia presents Taiwan with mutually beneficial conditions for economic cooperation, as Taiwan is able to reach other European countries through Slovakia, he said.
Slovakia is interested in exploring cooperation in the green economy and electric vehicles, in which “Taiwan is a front-runner,” Korcek said.
There is great potential for the two sides to work together in the automotive industry, as Slovakia is the biggest producer of vehicles per capita, producing more than 1 million every year, he said.
The European country is on the path toward an innovative and net zero economy, he said.
Slovakia would also continue working with Taiwan to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, including recovery and reconstruction of war-affected areas, Svec said.
The delegation on Monday participated in the third session of the Taiwanese-Slovak Commission on Economic Cooperation, discussing topics related to research and development, science, investment and education, he said.
It also visited the Start-up Terrace in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), the Hsinchu Science Park, the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute and the Industrial Technology Research Institute, he added.
The delegation, which also included officials from the Slovak Ministry of Education, is scheduled to leave Taiwan today, concluding a six-day visit.
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