Former President Tsai arrives in Berlin for freedom conference

Berlin, Nov. 9 (CNA)Former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was welcomed with flowers on her arrival Sunday in Berlin, where she is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech on Monday at the Berlin Freedom Conference.

Upon arrival at her hotel around 1:30 p.m., Tsai was presented with flowers by the hotel manager, and she fielded questions from the media.

When asked about the back-to-back visits to Europe by her and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), she said, "We will keep working hard."

Before her departure, Tsai wrote on social media that "diplomacy is a relay with no breaks." She praised Vice President Hsiao's recent trip to Brussels, which included a landmark speech at the European Parliament - the first ever by a sitting Taiwanese vice president - calling it a "significant milestone for Taiwan."

Since leaving office, Tsai has continued her efforts to strengthen Taiwan's ties with Europe. Last October, she visited the Czech Republic, France, and Belgium, and in May this year, she made visits to Lithuania, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. Germany is the latest stop in her ongoing engagement with Taiwan's democratic partners in Europe.

Prior to her current visit, Tsai said that as a trustworthy member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to stand with Europe and other like-minded countries to demonstrate its commitment to freedom and democracy.

The Berlin Freedom Conference, the main event of Berlin Freedom Week, is co-organized by the Berlin city government, the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation, and the World Liberty Congress.

The forum gathers global civil society leaders, human rights advocates, and experts, who make speeches and engage in panel discussions on how to defend and strengthen freedom and democracy amid the resurgence of authoritarianism.

Confirmed speakers at this year's event include German Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner, Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk, and Taiwanese Minister-at-Large Audrey Tang (唐鳳). The organizers have highlighted Tsai's participation as one of the major features of the forum.