Legislative Speaker You Si-kun will travel on Monday to the Czech Republic at the invitation of Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil. Vystrčil himself visited Taiwan in 2020.
During You’s visit, Vystrčil and You will hold a joint press conference. You will also visit the graves of the first president of the Czech Republic, Václav Havel, and late Czech Senate Speaker Jaroslav Kubera. Havel was the first democratically elected president of the country after the fall of communism. Kubera passed away when he was preparing for his trip to Taiwan in 2020. The Czech politician had pushed ahead with plans for the visit, despite receiving threatening letters from China warning him against it.
Legislative Speaker You says he hopes to learn from the Czech Republic what difficulties the people faced breaking away from communist oppression to establish a democratic government.
You’s visit has been arranged by Prague’s current envoy to Taiwan, Patrick Rumlar. Rumlar played an important role in organizing Vystrčil’s visit to Taiwan in 2020. The visit was the highest-level political exchange between the two countries.
Rumlar will soon return to the Czech Republic to become the head of the Asia Pacific affairs department in the foreign ministry after his four-year term in Taipei ends.