Lai meets with Ukrainian parliamentary group, calls for deeper ties

Taipei, Aug. 7 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Thursday reaffirmed Taiwan's support for Ukraine and voiced hope for closer bilateral ties during a meeting with a visiting cross-party delegation from Ukraine's parliament.

Lai said even though Taiwan and Ukraine are geographically far away from each other, both are on the frontlines of defending against authoritarianism and fighting for freedom and democracy.

He said that while official exchanges between Taiwan and Ukraine are currently limited, he looked forward to deeper engagement across all sectors, including governments, parliaments, industries and people.

The president reaffirmed Taipei's commitment to supporting Ukraine, noting that Taiwan had provided humanitarian assistance and contributed to reconstruction efforts since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

These efforts show the world that "when like-minded democracies join forces, we can overcome any number of threats and challenges," he told the delegation led by Ukrainian parliamentarian Mykola Kniazhytskyi.

According to Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kniazhytskyi's group is the first cross-party delegation from the Ukrainian parliament to visit Taiwan since 1993.

The delegation also includes parliamentarians Ivan Krulko, Valeriy Lunchenko, Solomiia Bobrovska, Mykhailo Bondar, Andrii Lopushanskyi and Sviatoslav Yurash.