Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil is calling on democracies to stand in unity to safeguard shared values. Vystrčil made the remarks in his speech at Taiwan’s Legislature on Tuesday.
Despite pressure from China, Vystrčil is leading a 89-person delegation from the Czech Republic on a five-day visit to Taiwan.
Vystrčil is the first foreign parliamentary speaker to give a speech at the Legislature in 45 years. On Tuesday, he was awarded a diplomatic medal of honor by Legislature President Yu Shyi-kun.
Vystrčil said Taiwan and Czech have a similar fate as both are working hard to pursue freedom and democracy. Vystrčil also said law-making bodies all over the world should safeguard democratic principles, rather than suppress freedom through legislation.
In his speech Vystrčil said, "Please let me also express in person my support to Taiwan and the ultimate value of freedom and conclude today's speech at your Legislative Yuan in Taiwan with perhaps a more humble, but equally strong statement." Vystrčil then ended his remarks by saying "I am a Taiwanese" in Mandarin. He was invoking a famous speech in 1963 by John F. Kennedy in West Berlin in support of the universal value of democracy where Kennedy said "I am a Berliner".
Yu said Vystrčil’s speech enables Taiwan to have a better understanding of democratic values and the Czech spirit. Yu also praised Vystrčil for standing firm on the principles of dignity and sovereignty despite pressure from China.