President Tsai Ing-wen says she wants to visit Lithuania after the pandemic is over because it is a courageous country. She made the remarks on Tuesday during a podcast broadcast. She said such a visit could take place if pandemic and diplomatic conditions would allow it.
Lithuania is welcoming Taiwan to set up a Taiwanese Representative Office in Vilnius, its capital, this year. It is the first European country to let Taiwan set up an office that doesn’t use “Taipei” in its name. Beijing has reacted to the move by recalling its ambassador and suspending direct rail service to Lithuania.
Despite this pressure from Beijing, Lithuania is engaging Taiwan and moving forward with its plans to set up a Taiwanese Representative Office. The two sides are also working on strengthening economic ties and cooperation in many sectors.
When asked about Lithuania’s role in EU relations with Taiwan, the chair of the Lithuanian Parliamentary Group for Relations with Taiwan Matas Maldeikis told Radio Taiwan International that he wants Lithuania to be a model for EU ties with Taiwan. He said Lithuania would like to establish successful economic ties with Taiwan and he hopes its success story can inspire other countries.