TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced on Monday (Dec. 14) that its new representative office in France’s Provence region has officially opened, with an eye on strengthening Taiwan-France relations.

MOFA issued a press release Monday evening stating that the office, located in the southern city of Aix-en-Provence, had held an inauguration ceremony co-hosted by Taiwan’s envoy to France Wu Chih-chung (吳志中) and Xin Chi-chih (辛繼志), director of the Provence office.

The ministry pointed out that many French politicians, including Senator Andre Vallini and National Assembly member Laurence Trastour-Isnart, had congratulated Taiwan on its new representative office via letters and pre-recorded videos. The dignitaries reportedly welcomed Taiwanese to Provence and said they were glad to see the two countries bolster exchanges and cooperation, CNA reported.

Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) also released a pre-recorded video, calling France an important economic and trade partner and saying the prospects for bilateral cooperation in the aerospace, biomedicine, and technology industries are promising. He also forecast new partnerships in smart healthcare, renewable energy, and circular economy.

With the new office, Wu stated that Taiwan will be able to provide more immediate and better services for French and overseas Taiwanese as well as further strengthen bilateral economic, trade, cultural, and tourism exchanges with southern France.

MOFA pointed out that from 2016 to 2019, the number of Taiwanese visiting France increased by 62 percent while the number of French coming to Taiwan increased by nearly 30 percent.