Lawmakers launch parliamentary friendship groups to promote exchanges with European nations

Taipei, March 16 (CNA) Several legislators held a ceremony to mark the inauguration of six parliamentary friendship groups to promote closer exchanges with European countries, in the Legislative Yuan on Friday.

Lawmakers said the aim of the groups was to help boost Taiwan's international participation.

The groups included the Taiwanese parliamentary group working on WTO diplomacy, the Taiwan-Switzerland Parliamentary Friendship Association, the Taiwan-Germany Parliamentary Friendship Group, and the Taiwan-Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg Parliamentary Friendship Association.

According to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Lin I-chin (林宜瑾), the Dutch Parliament and the Belgian Federal Chamber of Representatives have passed resolutions in support of Taiwan in recent years, while Luxembourg has also voiced support for Taiwan participating in the World Health Organization.

In addition, Switzerland's lower house passed a resolution in May 2023 to "strengthen cooperation with the Taiwanese Legislative Yuan," demonstrating the support of European countries for Taiwan's international participation and cooperation, Lin said.

Lin added that in terms of international diplomacy, Taiwan not only has to seek out economic opportunities but also strengthen democracy and human rights to boost ties with democratic countries worldwide.

Meanwhile, DPP lawmaker Fan Yun (范雲), who initiated and chaired the current term's Taiwan Parliamentary Human Rights Commission, pledged to strengthen international connections and build an anti-China alliance based on human rights.

She said she also recently established the Taiwan-European social democratic and anti-authoritarian countries parliamentary friendship network.

Also at the ceremony, DPP Legislator Chang Hung-lu (張宏陸), who was re-elected chairman of the Taiwan-Germany Parliamentary Friendship Group, highlighted the shared values of democracy and freedom between the two countries.

Jörg Polster, the German representative to Taiwan, welcomed the establishment of parliamentary friendship associations, saying that he was looking forward to accompanying a German parliamentary delegation at this year's presidential inauguration ceremony in Taiwan.