Czech Senate Deputy Speaker delegation visits Taiwan, set to meet with Lai Ching-te

The Chief Deputy Speaker of the Czech Senate, Jiří Drahoš, arrived in Taiwan today (10th) with a delegation for a visit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China stated that during their time in Taiwan, the delegation will meet with President Lai Ching-te and Vice President Hsiao Mei-chin.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China issued a press release today, stating that the Chief Deputy Speaker of the Czech Senate, Jiří Drahoš, led the delegation to visit Taiwan from the 10th to the 15th. The 19-member delegation includes officials and technology experts and scholars such as Jana Havlikova, Deputy Minister of Technology, Petr Očko, Director General of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Michal Lukeš, Director of the National Museum of the Czech Republic. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed a warm welcome to the delegation.

During their stay in Taiwan, the delegation will meet with President Lai Ching-te, Vice President Hsiao Mei-chin, visit Premier Su Tseng-chang and Legislative Yuan President Han Kuo-yu, attend a banquet hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu, and meet with relevant Taiwanese government departments to exchange views on important issues such as economy, trade, technology, education, and culture, aiming to deepen cooperation between Taiwan and the Czech Republic in key industries, scientific development, talent cultivation, and cultural arts.

Drahoš will also attend a seminar on Czech semiconductor business opportunities, witness the signing of a collaboration contract between the National Palace Museum and the National Museum of the Czech Republic, participate in the opening ceremony of the “Czech Castles and Palaces Exhibition” at the National Taiwan Museum, and join the launch ceremony of the Taiwan-Czech Resilience Project.

Drahoš previously served as President of the Czech Academy of Sciences and has been Chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Education, Science, Culture, Human Rights, and Petitions since 2018. In 2022, he assumed the position of Chief Deputy Speaker of the Senate and has long been promoting exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and the Czech Republic in various fields of science and humanities. This includes facilitating a memorandum of cooperation in six areas such as semiconductor technology, education, culture, universities, and museums in 2022, aiming to enhance bilateral cooperation in key technology, industrial linkages, and strengthen democratic supply chain resilience projects.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China is pleased to see Taiwan and the Czech Republic continue to deepen their cooperation in various fields such as technology, education, and culture on the basis of shared values of freedom and democracy, in order to promote the development of both countries and benefit the people of both nations.