Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) says he hopes to strengthen ties between Taiwan and Portugal and build a security alliance through economic cooperation. Lai spoke on Monday while meeting with a Portuguese delegation at Taiwan’s Presidential Office.
Portuguese Parliament Deputy Paulo Rios de Oliveira is leading the bipartisan delegation, which includes six other parliament members. Lai thanked Oliveira for supporting Taiwan through various events in both countries over the past few years.
The vice president says both Taiwan and Portugal value freedom and have worked hard to transform into democracies. He says the delegation’s visit demonstrates the importance of Portugal’s support for Taiwan.
Oliveira says Taiwan’s democracy is at the world’s forefront and Taiwan and Portugal both share a commitment to peace and human rights. Lai adds that he hopes the two countries will build a security alliance through economic cooperation and become important global partners in democracy.