On May 22nd, Vice President of the Republic of China, Lai Ching-te, met with the “French former minister and National Assembly Taiwan Friendship Group member, Guillaume Kasbarian, visiting delegation,” thanking them for their steadfast support for Taiwan-France relations and hoping for continued deepening of bilateral cooperation.
During the morning of the 22nd, Vice President Lai Ching-te met with the visiting delegation led by Guillaume Kasbarian, which also included French National Assembly Taiwan Friendship Group members Estelle Youssouffa, Corentin Le Fur, Paul Midy, and Franck Paris, the Director of the French Office in Taiwan.
In her address, Vice President Lai Ching-te extended a warm welcome to the visiting delegation, emphasizing the steadfast support of the French National Assembly Taiwan Friendship Group in the continuous deepening of Taiwan-France relations, noting significant progress in the relationship between the two sides.
Lai Ching-te mentioned, “In recent years, both countries have continued to expand cooperation in various fields such as economy, technology, culture, and sports. I would like to express my gratitude for the excellent care taken of our country’s Olympic delegation while competing in France last year. The outstanding performance of our Olympic delegation has inspired the whole society, including the subsequent Paralympic Games.”
Furthermore, Lai Ching-te mentioned that Taiwan also sent a delegation to participate in cultural events related to the Paris Olympic Games, expressing delight at the flourishing development of Taiwan-France relations across various sectors.
Lai Ching-te also thanked the French government and people, especially for emphasizing the importance of Taiwan’s participation in international organizations on the international stage and reaffirming support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the World Health Organization (WHO), World Health Assembly (WHA), and other public health activities contributing to global health.
Lai Ching-te also expressed gratitude for the French government’s emphasis on the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait during international forums such as the G7 summit, highlighting the significance of freedom of navigation in their long-term national defense strategy, and their commitment to maintaining peace, all of which are highly meaningful and crucial for Taiwan.
She expressed her hope for continued cooperation between Taiwan and France in various fields, acknowledging France’s advantages in certain areas and Taiwan’s strengths, aiming to combine the strengths of both countries, particularly in the fields of technology and promoting human welfare, to create more opportunities and bring growth and prosperity to both societies.