Two Lithuanian delegations will visit Taiwan this week, including Vice-Chancellor Vilmantas Vitkauskas and former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, who will be awarded the Order of Brilliant Star with the Grand Cordon. This is the first time that Lithuanian officials have visited Taiwan since the formation of its new government at the end of last year.
Sunday night, the Foreign Ministry welcomed a delegation including Vice-Chancellor and Lithuania Chancellery National Crisis Management Center head Vilmantas Vitkauskas, along with Lithuanian Communication and Cultural Diplomacy Department acting director Vilijus Samuila, among others. The delegation will remain in Taiwan until Saturday, where they will meet relevant ministries and exchange ideas with NGOs on the topic of countering misinformation.
Both Taiwan and Lithuania are “frontline democracies” facing the threat of authoritarian expansion, as well as close allies with shared values, the Foreign Ministry said. Since the establishment of offices in each other's countries, the two have established a deep partnership formed on mutual trust and a strengthening cooperation focused on democratic resilience.
Also visiting Taiwan is Former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, who will be awarded one of Taiwan’s highest civilian awards for his contributions to Taiwan and Lithuania’s enduring partnership.
Despite serving as Lithuania’s foreign minister since 2020, it will be Landsbergis’ first trip to Taiwan. During his tenure, he facilitated the donation of vaccines to Taiwan during the COVID epidemic and supported the establishment of a representative office in Lithuania under the name of “Taiwan.” He firmly defended the principles of freedom and democracy, writing to the international community for their support when China conducted drills around Taiwan, sparing no effort in the establishment of friendly relations between the two countries.
Landsbergis will remain in Taiwan until Thursday. He will receive the Order of Brilliant Star with a Grand Cordon from President Lai (賴清德), meet with Vice-President Hsiao Bi-Khim (蕭美琴) and other officials, and give a speech.