TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday (Jan. 30) highlighted the close ties and shared values Taiwan has with the Czech Republic in a 15-minute call with President-elect Petr Pavel, Presidential Office Spokesperson Lin Yu-chan (林聿禪) said.

Tsai congratulated Pavel on his election victory and expressed confidence he would carry on the spirit of former Czech President Vaclav Havel who respected democracy, freedom, and human rights, according to Lin. Under Pavel, the two countries will continue to promote a close partnership, she said.

Tsai pointed out that Taiwan and the Czech Republic have had “close and sound” bilateral interactions in various fields such as economy, trade, investment, science and technology, education, culture, and tourism. She said she would encourage Taiwanese companies to use the Czech Republic as a base to deepen economic and trade exchanges in central and eastern Europe.

Pavel thanked Tsai for the congratulatory phone call and affirmed that Taiwan and the Czech Republic share the values of freedom, democracy, respect for human rights, and the rule of law. He said the Czech Republic firmly stands with democracy and supports Taiwan in maintaining a vibrant democratic system.

He said his country would not be coerced by authoritarianism and pledged to strengthen cooperation with Taiwan in all aspects.

Pavel succeeds Milos Zeman, who was known for his support of closer ties with China. During his election campaign, Pavel advocated closer trade relations with European countries with shared democratic values.