TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Tuesday (Aug. 23) welcomed the decision by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator and Taiwan-Baltic nation Parliamentary Friendship Association head Chiu Chih-wei’s (邱志偉) to invite Lithuanian politicians to Taiwan after the pandemic dies down.

Chiu recently sent letters to Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) Speaker Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, Prime Minister Matas Maldeikis, and Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Zygimantas Pavilionis, inviting them to Taiwan. 

MOFA said in a press release that it is grateful for Chiu and the many other legislators who support strengthening Taiwan’s relations with Lithuania and other Baltic nations through parliamentary channels.

Lithuania is on the front lines of defending democracy and freedom, MOFA said, adding that the country is a friendly, like-minded partner of Taiwan. The ministry noted that for the past two years, more than half of Lithuanian parliamentarians had co-signed a letter to World Health Organization Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus supporting Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly.

“We firmly believe that Taiwan and Lithuania will continue to deepen and expand exchanges and cooperation in various fields based on the universal values of freedom and democracy, and comprehensively enhance substantive relations between the two countries,” MOFA said.