Swedish MPs visit Taiwan

Taipei, Aug. 26 (CNA) A parliamentary group from Sweden is currently visiting Taiwan to better understand the country's democratization and the situation across the Taiwan Strait, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a statement on Monday.

The cross-party delegation from the Swedish-Taiwanese Parliamentarian Association (STPA) is led by Lotta Johnsson Fornarve of the Left Party. It also includes John Weinerhall of the Moderate Party, a member on the committee on defense, and Göran Hargestam of the Sweden Democrats, a member of the committee on foreign affairs.

The group will stay in Taiwan until Sept. 1 after arriving earlier in the day, MOFA said.

The Swedish parliamentarians will meet with Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), and attend a banquet hosted by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs François Wu (吳志中), the ministry said.

They will also call at the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of National Defense, Mainland Affairs Council, Civil Aeronautics Administration and Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, among others, to exchange views on Taiwan-Sweden relations and discuss issues related to national defense and the regional situation with government officials, public opinion leaders and experts, it said.

The STPA has long been a firm supporter of Taiwan in the Swedish parliament and strongly backs Taiwan's meaningful participation in world bodies such as the World Health Organization, MOFA said.

MOFA voiced hope that the visit to Taiwan will help boost two-way parliamentary interactions and enhance the delegation members' understanding of Taiwan's democratic development and cross-strait situation.