TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan and Slovakia think tank GLOBSEC held a joint seminar on combating disinformation for the first time on Tuesday (Sept. 5).
Over 20 Taiwanese experts from various institutions including the National Communications Commission, Prospect Foundation, Institute for National Defense and Security Research, Soochow University, and Taiwanese fack-checking platform Cofacts, participated in the event, according to a Taipei Representative Office in Bratislava press release.
Addressing the participants virtually, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Chun (李淳), pointed out the competition between democracy and authoritarianism, with authoritarian regimes increasingly undermining democratic systems. This seminar highlights the friendship between Taiwan and Slovakia and their firm determination to jointly defend democracy and shared values, Lee said.
Lee said that Slovakia plays a leading role in supporting Ukraine, making it a target of Russia's disinformation efforts. Moscow seeks to disrupt social cohesion within Slovakia and damage its relationship with Ukraine, he said, adding that Taiwan can make significant contributions in this regard.
Taiwan Representative to Slovakia Lee Nan-yang (李南陽) said that China continually engages in military provocations against Taiwan, putting its defense capabilities to the test. It also uses disinformation to divide Taiwan's society and undermine its government, attempting to create chaos and fear and weaken Taiwan's resolve and resilience, he said.
Lee said that Taiwan and Slovakia share universal values, with their commitments to freedom and democracy serving as the cornerstone of their partnership. This exchange of professional knowledge will further deepen the friendship between the two countries, he said.
Taiwan-Slovakia bilateral relations have deepened in recent years. The two countries signed the protocol of the first session of the Taiwanese-Slovak Commission on Economic Cooperation in December 2021 to establish a mechanism for future bilateral exchanges and cooperation in domains such as the economy, trade, education, scientific research, and tourism.
In May, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Slovak National Council passed a resolution supporting Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly.
Then in June, a 26-member Slovakian government delegation, led by Ambassador Manuel Korcek, representing Director General Lucia Kiss of the Department of Economic and Development Cooperation, arrived in Taiwan to co-host the third Taiwanese-Slovak Commission on Economic Cooperation.
