TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s ambassador to the Vatican, Taiwan's only European diplomatic ally, took part in a march in Rome against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, reports said Wednesday (March 9).

Ambassador Matthew Lee (李世明) was invited by Lithuanian residents of the Italian capital to attend the March 6 event, which attracted a total of 50,000 participants, CNA reported. Embassy staff mostly wore clothes in the colors of the Ukrainian flag, blue and yellow, and carried Taiwan flags in the parade to express solidarity with the East European country.

The event corresponded to President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) call to tell the world Taiwan stands with Ukraine and with freedom and democracy, the embassy said on its Facebook page.