President Lai, Czech Senate leader laud close ties during meet

Taipei, June 14 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and Jiří Drahoš, the first vice president of the Czech Senate, praised the mutual cooperation between the two sides in recent years and expressed hope for stronger ties in the future at a meeting in Taipei on Friday.

Taiwan and the Czech Republic "have fostered close bilateral exchanges and fruitful cooperation" based on the shared values of democracy, freedom and human rights, Lai said during the gathering at the Presidential Office.

Taiwan's National Palace Museum and the National Museum in Prague signed an exhibition cooperation deal on Wednesday, and Taiwan is working to establish its first overseas IC design training base in the Czech capital, Lai said, highlighting ongoing bilateral partnerships.

"Moving forward, industrial and cultural interactions between Taiwan and the Czech Republic are sure to become increasingly vibrant," he added.

In April, Wu Tsung-tsong (吳政忠), then-head of the Minister of Science and Technology Council, told CNA that the training base, set to open in Prague in September, was part of the government's NT$300 billion (US$9.26 billion) program aimed at establishing Taiwan as a global IC design powerhouse.

Drahoš, who arrived in Taiwan on June 10 for a six-day visit, shared similar views while emphasizing the Czech Republic's eagerness to collaborate with Taiwan on semiconductors and other advanced technologies.

Soliciting investment from suppliers of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world's biggest contract chip maker, in the Czech Republic is one of the main purposes of the Drahoš delegation's trip to Taiwan that ends Saturday.

June 12: Czech delegation seeks investment from TSMC suppliers

Other members of the delegation include Jana Havlíková, deputy minister of science, research and innovation, and Petr Očko, deputy minister for digitalization and innovation at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and 16 other officials and experts, according to Taiwan's foreign ministry.

"The Czech Republic is ready to be part of [Taiwan's] semiconductor ecosystem," he said, describing his country as "a reliable partner to invest in, especially in the chip industry."

Meanwhile, Lai also met with James Moriarty, former chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), at the Presidential Office later Friday.

During the meeting, the president pledged to work with the United States and other partners to overcome global issues, such as pandemics and extreme weather events.

Moriarty chaired the AIT, whose Taipei office represents Washington's interests in Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic relations between the two sides, from 2016 to 2023.