TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani acknowledged that the World Health Organization (WHO) made a mistake by excluding Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an interview with Italian newspaper Il Messaggero on Monday, Tajani said international organizations were created to safeguard world peace, per CNA. He stressed that these organizations must act with true responsibility and pointed to Taiwan as an example.

“Can I give you an example?” Tajani said. “I support the World Health Organization, but during COVID-19, the WHO made mistakes. One of the mistakes was to exclude Taiwanese scientists from participating in epidemic prevention.”

His comments come as the US Bureau of International Organization Affairs voiced support for Taiwan’s inclusion in the World Health Assembly (WHA).

“Taiwan's exclusion from key international fora, including the World Health Assembly, has a direct negative impact on the well-being of Americans and the entire global community,” the bureau said on Sunday. “There is no reasonable justification to exclude Taiwan’s participation.”