TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Lithuania’s Deputy Economics and Innovation Minister Karolis Zemaitis and the Baltic country’s first envoy to Taiwan will attend the launch of a joint business club between the two nations, reports said Wednesday (Sept. 14).

Zemaitis arrived in Taiwan at the head of a 28-member delegation on Sept. 10, while Paulius Lukauskas will stay on as Lithuania’s first representative. Taiwan opened its office in Vilnius in November last year.

The Lithuanian government delegates as well as business people from both countries will attend the launch Thursday (Sept. 15) of the Taiwan-Lithuania Business Club, according to the Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association, Taiwan (CIECA).

The new group will function as a bridge between business groups from both countries and organize events involving topics such as the food industry, agriculture, laser technology, semiconductors, fintech, biotechnology, and space research.

The Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists, the Lithuanian Laser Association, the Lithuanian Biotechnology Association, and Taiwan’s Fortress Group were scheduled to attend Thursday’s club launch.

Since Vilnius approved the opening of a Taiwanese office using the country’s name instead of Taipei, China has downgraded diplomatic relations with the Baltic nation and targeted it with trade sanctions. In the meantime, ties between Taiwan and Lithuania grew closer as they exchanged trade and ministerial delegations.