On November 22, 2024, Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Wu, led a delegation of drone industry representatives to visit Lithuania. During the visit, two memorandums of cooperation were signed with the Lithuanian Defense and Security Industry Association to promote bilateral industry cooperation and investment.
Minister Joseph Wu led the “Taiwan Excellence UAV Overseas Business Opportunity Alliance” along with 20 related companies, totaling 59 people, to attend the “UAV Industry Forum” jointly organized by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Lithuania and the Lithuanian Innovation Agency in Vilnius on November 21. Wang Ting-yu, representing Taiwan, delivered a speech at the forum on behalf of the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.
Lithuania was represented by Deputy Minister of Defense Monika Koroliovienė, Director of the Innovation Agency Romualda Stragienė, and President of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists Vidmantas Janulevičius at the event. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that during the forum, Minister Joseph Wu witnessed the signing of memorandums of understanding between the “Taiwan Excellence UAV Overseas Business Opportunity Alliance” and the “Lithuanian Defense and Security Industry Association,” demonstrating the determination of both Taiwan and Lithuania to jointly develop a UAV democratic supply chain.
In his address, Minister Joseph Wu stated that authoritarian regimes like the Chinese Communist Party and Russia continue to exert pressure on democratic nations through strategies like the gray zone and economic coercion, posing serious threats. The security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific region are closely interlinked, and like-minded partners should unite to defend the hard-won democratic way of life.
Minister Wu mentioned President Lai Ching-te’s proposal of the “Five Trustworthy Industries,” aiming to enhance economic resilience through Taiwan’s innovation and technological capabilities. Taiwan, following the concept of “comprehensive diplomacy,” seeks to strengthen economic and trade cooperation with global partners to achieve a vision of mutual prosperity. Taiwan has proven itself to be an indispensable partner in the “democratic supply chain,” and looks forward to sharing Taiwan’s experiences with Lithuania and other democratic countries in the future.
Furthermore, Minister Wu mentioned that since Taiwan established its representative office in Lithuania, cooperation between the two nations has flourished, setting an example of mutual assistance among democratic countries. The UAV industry has great development potential in Taiwan and Lithuania, and Minister Wu believes that it can become a successful case of bilateral cooperation in the field. Taiwan anticipates continuing to build mutually beneficial cooperation with the new Lithuanian government.
Taiwanese legislator Wang Ting-yu emphasized Taiwan’s support for Lithuania by accompanying Minister Joseph Wu on the visit. Both Taiwan and Lithuania are frontline democratic countries facing threats from authoritarian expansion by countries like China and Russia, necessitating closer cooperation at the industrial level to establish economic resilience. Taiwan has always strived to excel in everything it does, leading to its strong manufacturing capabilities today. The Republic of China will continue to demonstrate the same spirit in the UAV sector, strengthening the democratic supply chain with like-minded partners.
Deputy Minister of Defense of Lithuania, Monika, stated that Taiwan and Lithuania share values of freedom and democracy, and Lithuania looks forward to enhancing cooperation on an already solid foundation. With the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine ongoing, authoritarian expansion poses a threat to democratic countries, emphasizing the urgency of strengthening defense and civilian defense capabilities to develop UAVs and anti-drone industries to strengthen asymmetric warfare capabilities.
Monika mentioned that Lithuania will continue to deepen its cooperation with countries in the Indo-Pacific region, hoping to engage in strategic cooperation in the UAV industry with Taiwan to jointly establish a democratic supply chain for the defense industry. Director of the Lithuanian Innovation Agency and President of LPK also expressed similar expectations during their speeches.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China stated that this was the first joint hosting of the “UAV Industry Forum” by Taiwan and Lithuania. Over 40 companies from Lithuania and Ukraine registered for the event, with more than 200 attendees participating in enthusiastic interactions. Representatives from the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economy attended the event. With strong support from both governments, Taiwan and Lithuania utilized this platform for industry collaboration, which is expected to create opportunities in the European and global UAV markets. Minister Joseph Wu’s participation in the forum showcased the importance of Taiwan-Lithuania relations and the determination to cooperate with the new Lithuanian government.