Taiwan's top diplomat, trade delegation concludes trip to Poland, Italy

Taipei, June 28 (CNA) Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) has concluded a six-day trip to Poland and Italy as head of a trade delegation aimed at strengthening Taiwan's partnerships with the two European countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Saturday.

The trip, which lasted from Sunday through Friday, began with Lin leading a delegation of Taiwanese business representatives to the 2026 Taiwan Expo Europe in Poland, MOFA said in a press release.

On Wednesday, Lin visited the Polish Parliament and later attended a banquet with members of the Polish-Taiwanese Parliamentary Group, where he announced the forthcoming establishment of Taiwan Language Centers in Europe.

The first centers will be set up in Czechia, France, Germany, and Poland to serve as hubs for Mandarin-language education and talent exchanges, Lin was quoted as saying in the MOFA press release.

Later on Wednesday, Lin traveled to Italy, where he and his delegation attended a business forum, as well as an event organized by the Regional Council of Lombardy on strengthening supply chain resilience and Taiwan-Italy exchanges.

The events, which focused on semiconductors, ICT, and advanced manufacturing, attracted nearly 100 government officials and industry representatives.

According to MOFA, this was the largest industry delegation from Taiwan to attend an industry event organized by the Regional Council of Lombardy.

While in Italy, Lin also visited Taiwanese businesses operating there, including MEMC Electronic Materials S.p.A., HIWIN Italy (the Italian subsidiary of Taiwan-based HIWIN Group), and NHOA Energy, which was acquired by Taiwan Cement in 2021.