TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The French National Assembly on Monday (Nov. 29) passed a resolution affirming the French government’s continued backing of Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.

The resolution, which passed with 39 voting in favor of the motion, three abstaining, and two opposing, calls for Taiwan’s inclusion in global organizations including the World Health Assembly, International Civil Aviation Organization, International Criminal Police Organization, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) press release.

This is the first time that the two chambers of the French Parliament have passed a pro-Taiwan resolution within six months, MOFA noted. The French Senate had approved its own version on May 6.

The National Assembly resolution was initiated by Francois de Rugy, chairman of the France-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group, on June 22 gaining more than 180 signatures from National Assembly members and politicians from seven major political groups, per the MOFA press release.

The ministry said it welcomes and appreciates France’s efforts to support Taiwan, adding that the two countries are close partners with universal values such as democracy, freedom, and human rights.

In recent years, Taiwan and France have worked closely in the fields of economy and trade, environmental protection, epidemic prevention, technology, energy, and innovation, MOFA said. Both nations attach importance to regional security in the Indo-Pacific and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the foreign ministry added.

Taiwan has long contributed to global health and security, and actively promoted its participation in international organizations such as WHO, it said.