INTERVIEW/Czech parliamentary leader to promote ties in upcoming Taiwan trip

Prague, March 18 (CNA) Speaker of the Czech parliament's lower house Markéta Pekarová Adamová, who will lead a delegation to Taiwan later this month, expressed hope in a recent interview with CNA that her upcoming trip will help further cement bilateral ties and deepen exchanges between the two countries.

It will be one of the largest ever visiting Czech delegations to Taiwan, comprising business leaders from the technology sector, university academics and researchers, as well as members of various governmental institutions, Chamber of Deputies head Adamová said.

The trip will also include director of the National Museum in Prague, who will seek to promote exchanges with museums in Taiwan, she added.

Last but not least, the Czech parliamentary leader highlighted hopes that both sides can cooperate in fields such as semiconductors, which she said was not only important to her country but also European industries.

During the interview, Adamová also touched on the soon-to-be-launched direct flights between Prague and Taipei, which she said was an important step to promoting bilateral cooperation and tourism, while indicating that both countries share much in common.

"The distance between our countries is very huge. But at the same time, I think we can understand each other very well," she said.

In the Czech Republic, people know what it means to "fight for freedom and democracy," Adamová said, and with the recent election of Petr Pavel as President of the Czech Republic, she indicated that her country is now moving toward a new era.

Miloš Zeman, who is the former president, had focused primarily on China, and said he once went there to get inspired on how to stabilize society, she said.

"This was something incredible for us because we live in freedom and democracy. And as a free democratic country, we support others who are standing behind the same values," Adamová said, while expressing her support for Pavel, who she described as a strong supporter of democratic values.

"We really are looking forward to this change," she said.

Regarding concerns that her upcoming trip might anger Beijing, Adamová described Taiwan as a partner of the Czech Republic, and as such there was no reason not to go, she said.

"We have so many common interests there is no reason to stop this contact or not to maintain this contact," she explained.

According to an online announcement by the Czech-Taiwanese Business Chamber in February, Adamová will arrive in Taiwan on March 25, on board a charter flight arranged by the government of the Czech Republic.

The parliamentary leader is expected to remain in the country for five days, during which time she will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and has also been invited to deliver a speech to the Legislature.

A Czech official familiar with the matter said the delegation will consist of about 150 people, of whom about 100 are business leaders.

The official, who asked to remain anonymous, said promoting business negotiations between the two countries and exchanges between academic institutions and museums will be the focus of the trip.

"If there is an opportunity for military cooperation, it is not ruled out," the official said.