A five-member delegation from Austria’s National Council arrived in Taiwan on Wednesday, the first Austrian legislative delegation to do so since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s according to a press release from the foreign ministry. The ministry says the group is in Taiwan to demonstrate solidarity with democratic societies given the escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
The delegation’s trip, led by legislator Carmen Jeitler-Cincelli, will run through September 17 and include parliamentarians Andreas Minnich, Peter Weidinger, Corinna Scharzenberger, and Fiona Fiedler. The group is scheduled to meet with Taiwan Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) and attend a banquet hosted by Deputy Foreign Minister Roy Lee (李純).
The foreign ministry said the delegation will also visit the environmental ministry, the digital affairs ministry, the think tank Institute for National Defense and Security Research, chipmaker UMC, and the Taipei Computer Association. During the visit, the two sides are expected to exchange views on bilateral political, economic and industrial development.
The foreign ministry says the visit will enhance the friendship between Taiwan and Austria and deepen bilateral exchanges.