President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has received a senior delegation from the Atlantic Council led by Lithuania’s former president Dalia Grybauskaitė. President Tsai welcomed the seven-member delegation at the presidential office on Thursday.
Tsai expressed her gratitude to the delegation for the practical action they have taken to stand in solidarity with Taiwan. Tsai said the interactions between Taiwan and Lithuania have become increasingly close in recent years, including mutual establishment of representative offices and reciprocal visits.
Tsai pointed out the importance of strengthening democratic resilience in the face of challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine War. She noted that shared historical experiences in the pursuit of freedom and democracy have put Taiwan, Lithuania, and Czechia at the frontier to curb the threat and expansion of authoritarianism. Tsai said as a result, it is mutually beneficial for the countries to strengthen their economic and trade ties.
Taiwan’s economic connections with the U.S. and Europe have grown tighter in recent years, which not only strengthen Taiwan’s economic autonomy but also benefit the U.S. and European countries. Tsai emphasized that Taiwan will continue to expand its cooperation with other like-minded countries and contribute to realizing a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.