Taiwan and Italy have formed a parliamentary friendship group. Taiwanese lawmaker Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said on Tuesday the two sides’ relations have recently had a lot to look forward to.
Wang was elected as the group’s first head. He says Italy’s recently elected prime minister Giorgia Meloni has emphasized the importance of maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait. Italian lawmakers have also shown support for Taiwan by vying for its participation in international organizations. Wang says he looks forward to seeing further cooperation in the areas of electric cars, security issues, energy resources, and national defense industry.
Legislator Lin Jih-jia (林志嘉) says trade between Taiwan and Italy has been on the rise, with bilateral trade between the two amounting to almost US$5.6 billion in 2021. Lin adds Prime Minister Meloni has a very positive impression of Taiwan and good relations with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
Meanwhile, Italian lawmaker Lucio Malan says there are many similarities between Taiwan and Italy, and that the two sides work together well based on common interests.