TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced on Tuesday (April 18) that it will open the Taipei Representative Office in Milan this summer.

In a routine press conference, MOFA said it decided to open the new office considering the frequent and friendly interaction between Taiwan and Italy in the fields of economics, trade, culture, education, technology, and tourism. Italy is Taiwan’s fourth largest trading partner as well as an important political player in Europe. As such, it holds a very important status for Taiwan.

Additionally, the country’s economic and technology hubs are located in the north, while its automobile and semiconductor industries organize large expositions there annually as well. The office will also take advantage of Milan’s status as an important transportation, finance, and business center in southern Europe.

Other considerations include the fact that there is already a Taiwan Trade Center in Milan, and EVA Air also established a new route from Taipei to Milan in October last year. Given the above, MOFA believes that the opening of the Taipei Representative Office in Milan will help respond to the increased business and travel demands as well as facilitate further economic and trade cooperation between Taiwan and Italy.

MOFA expects to have five staff members. As it is in the process of leasing a space, the exact date of the office’s opening will depend on how long renovation and staff deployment take.