TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) praised Taiwan-Lithuania ties during a dinner with Taiwan-friendly Lithuanian lawmakers on Saturday.
Tsai said that despite the geographic distance, Taiwan and Lithuania have become close through shared experiences and values, per CNA. The more the two countries understand each other, the stronger their friendship will be in safeguarding democracy, she said.
She thanked Lithuania for its solidarity with Taiwan and its efforts to uphold democratic values. Taiwan and Lithuania have stood firm against authoritarian threats and, in recent years, built a strong partnership through cooperation in trade, technology, and education, she said.
Tsai said Taiwan and Lithuania would continue to work together to help democracy flourish and bring peace and justice to the world.
Ruslanas Baranovas, head of the Lithuanian Parliament’s Taiwan Friendship Group, said Taiwan faces challenges similar to those of Ukraine, including military and political pressure from China. These actions undermine Taiwan’s legitimacy and are unacceptable, he said.
He added that every nation has the right to choose its own path and preserve its values, and Lithuania will continue to defend this right.
Tsai is visiting Lithuania to highlight common democratic values. She is scheduled to speak at Vilnius University and hold a dialogue with former Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite.
She will later travel to Copenhagen at the invitation of the Alliance of Democracies to speak at the eighth Copenhagen Democracy Summit.
