Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) have been invited to the opening ceremony of a National Palace Museum touring exhibition in Prague in September.
Chiang is leading a legislative delegation on a 13-day trip to Europe. The delegation, which departed Taiwan on Saturday, is also scheduled to visit Spain and Italy.
The delegation on Monday met with Czech Chamber of Deputies Deputy Speaker Vera Kovarova in Prague, who invited Han and Chiang to the ceremony, Chiang’s office said in a statement yesterday.
Photo courtesy of Johnny Chiang’s office
The exhibition, called 100 Objects, 100 Stories: Treasures From the National Palace Museum, is to feature a diverse collection of Chinese historical relics such as bronzeworks, calligraphy, paintings, jade artwork, ceramics, books, historical documents, clothing and decorative items.
The delegation’s meeting with Kovarova marked the first exchange between deputy legislative speakers from the two sides since the Legislative Yuan and the Chamber of Deputies signed a parliamentary friendship and cooperation agreement last year, Chiang said.
The delegation’s visit signaled the rock-solid friendship between the two bodies, he said, adding that Taiwan and the Czech Republic share the universal values of democracy, freedom, human rights and the rule of law.
Lawmakers in the Czech Republic in June last year passed a resolution to support Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, reject any unilateral changes in the “status quo” across the Taiwan Strait and condemn any military threats from China, he said.
This shows the European country’s adamant support for Taiwan and bolsters the bilateral partnership in democratic development, Chiang said.
Amid escalating geopolitical tensions, Taiwan and the Czech Republic should stand firm to safeguard democracy and freedom to allow people to live in peace and enjoy their work, he said.
The Czech Republic is one of Taiwan’s most important friends and both sides are not only democratic partners, but also work closely in a wide range of areas such as education, culture, technology and economic affairs, Chiang said.
For example, the National Science and Technology Council provides subsidies to Czech researchers every year under an exchange plan and it has set up an IC design center in the Czech Republic to boost tech cooperation, he said.
Based on that foundation, hopefully the two sides would boost trade and investments, Chiang said, adding that he urged Prague to add Taiwan to a program that started this month allowing non-EU countries access to its labor market without work permits or employment cards.
The delegation is scheduled to return to Taiwan on Thursday next week.
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