TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Swedish lawmakers from the Swedish-Taiwanese Parliamentarian Association arrived on Monday (Aug. 26) to hold talks with Taiwanese officials.

During their 7-day trip, the delegation, led by Lotta Johnsson Fornarve, will meet with Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), and Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) to discuss regional security and bilateral relations, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). They will also visit numerous government institutions including the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of National Defense.

MOFA said the Swedish-Taiwanese Parliamentarian Association has consistently supported Taiwan by advocating for its meaningful participation in international organizations in parliament. As this is the first visit to Taiwan for the delegation members, they hope to gain a deeper understanding of the country’s democratic development and enhance parliamentary exchanges, MOFA said.

“Taiwan and Sweden share universal values of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law,” the foreign ministry said. It pledged to strengthen global democratic resilience and deepen cooperation with like-minded countries like Sweden.

Last year, two Swedish parliamentary delegations visited Taiwan within three months for talks with high-level Taiwanese officials. After a general election in October 2023, the new prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, expressed concern over peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and opposed China's use of military threats for the first time.

New Swedish Representative Helena Reitberger, who began her role two weeks ago, said her arrival comes “at a very exciting time” as there are many areas for enhanced cooperation between the two countries, including green transition and digital technology.