Taiwan's foreign ministry hosts 35 Ukrainian municipal officials

Taipei, March 19 (CNA) Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and his deputy François Wu (吳志中) welcomed a delegation of 35 Ukrainian officials, who are visiting Taiwan to attend a trade expo, during an official reception on Tuesday evening.

The event was a show of Taiwan's support for Ukraine as the latter seeks to rebuild and reconstruct its war-torn cities, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), which organized the event, said in a press release on Wednesday.

Lin was cited in the release as saying that the visit by the municipal-level officials from 11 cities for the Smart City Summit & Expo in Taipei would also help deepen the friendship between Taiwan and Ukraine.

Wu lauded Ukrainians' resilience as "a model" for the world, according to the release.

Taiwan has provided humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February 2022, Wu said, adding that the country would continue working with the Eastern European country to provide assistance in difficult times.

Meanwhile, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi and his counterpart from Uzhhorod Bohdan Andriyiv thanked Taiwan for sending aid and support to their cities while expressing hope that Taiwanese enterprise will take part in Ukraine's reconstruction efforts.

The 35 officials were invited to Taiwan for the smart city expo that runs from Tuesday to Friday in Taipei, MOFA said, adding that it welcomes more collaborations among the cities of Taiwan and Ukraine.