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Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu announced that the mission would be called the Taiwan Representative Office in Lithuania.
Although J.Wu did not disclose when the mission will begin operating, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry announced in a statement that the office should open in the summer.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs after receiving a notification from Taipei that a Taiwanese representation will open in Lithuania. The mission will be registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the condition of” other mission “, and will begin its activities with the arrival head of the mission, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this summer.
Taiwan will open a representative office in Europe after an 18-year hiatus. The last time a Taipei office was opened in Slovakia was in 2003.
“This decision is very important because it shows Taiwan’s determination to further expand relations with European countries,” Wu said.
“I congratulate and am glad that Lithuania’s relations with the important center of democracy and progress in Asia are expanding. We look forward to closer economic, cultural and person-to-person contacts.” 15 minutes said Lithuanian Deputy Foreign Minister Mantas Adomėnas.
According to Minister J.Wu, Taiwan and Lithuania, whose relations have grown rapidly since Vilnius moved away from Beijing, will develop economic, trade and technological cooperation.
Mr. Wu also noted that he expected bilateral relations to expand further, as Lithuania has already announced that it also plans to open a representative office – company – in Taiwan this fall.
The Lithuanian Minister of Economy and Innovation, Aušrinė Armonaitė, recently reported that the Government had approved the conclusion on the amendment of the Civil Service Law allowing the establishment of such a representative office.
Lithuania, like many other countries, has not established relations with Taiwan, which China is threatening to withdraw by force, but these steps may further worsen Lithuania’s recently chilled relations with Beijing.
In May this year, Lithuania officially withdrew from the 17 + 1 cooperation format with China, a mechanism that connects Beijing with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
AFP / “Scanpix” nuotr./Xi Jinpingas
Lithuania said at the time that this format fragmented the unity of the EU, promoted unequal relations in Europe, and Beijing failed to deliver on its promises to open up the Chinese market and increase investment.
American Institute in Taiwan, which operates primarily as de facto The US Embassy welcomed the news of the opening of a representative office in Vilnius: “All countries have the right to freely develop closer ties with Taiwan, an important economy and democracy.”
After regaining its independence, Lithuania established diplomatic relations not with Taiwan, but with the People’s Republic of China, and in September 1991 promised not to develop or promote official relations with Taiwan.
Formally, Taiwan currently has only fifteen allies in the world; many other countries have diplomatic relations with China, which sees Taiwan as part of its territory.
China seeks to isolate Taipei on the world stage and avoids using the word “Taiwan” in any case, so as not to give the island international legitimacy.
This time, the representative office was called “Taiwan representative office in Lithuania”.
Missions to foreign countries with which diplomatic relations are not maintained are commonly referred to as “Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices” or “Taipei Representations”.
ZUMAPRESS / Scanpix Photo / Taiwan Flag
Wu said Tuesday that Taiwan had no plans to change the names of the other 23 missions in European countries. They all have the word “Taipei”.
During the Cold War, Taiwan, whose official name was the ROC, did not recognize the occupation of the Baltic states.
It is true that after regaining its independence, Lithuania established diplomatic relations not with Taiwan, but with the People’s Republic of China, and in September 1991 it promised not to develop or promote official relations with Taiwan.
In Lithuania, after the last Seimas elections, when the government changed, the situation is also changing: relations with Taiwan are constantly heating up. Following the electoral victory, the current ruling coalition agreed to pursue a “values-based foreign policy” and “defend those who fight for freedom in the world, from Belarus to Taiwan.”
In June, Lithuania announced that it would allocate 20 thousand. AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines for Taiwan. The country was only fighting the COVID-19 outbreak at the time. There was an outbreak of gratitude towards Vilnius in Taiwan at the time, and a thank you video was created.
VIDEO: Taiwanese thank Lithuania for sending coronavirus vaccines
At the beginning of the pandemic, Taipei sent 100,000. medical face masks.
Tension and crooked looks at Beijing
Last week, Slovakia also announced plans to donate $ 10,000. doses of vaccines to Taiwan to thank about 700 thousand. masks that Taipei sent to this Central European country at the beginning of the pandemic.
Czech politicians are also seeking closer ties with Taiwan.
In 2019, Prague revoked the city’s association agreement with Beijing and signed a similar agreement with Taipei. Furthermore, a historic visit by the Czech Senate leader Milos Vystrčil took place in Taiwan last year and angered China.
For many countries in the region, Beijing remains an important commercial and diplomatic ally, as well as a valuable supplier of coronavirus vaccines.
China broke off official relations with the island and began pressuring it after Tsai Ing-wen won the 2016 Taiwan presidential election.
ZUMAPRESS / Scanpix nuotr./Tsai Ing-wen
Tsai Ing-wen, who was firmly reelected last year, does not share Beijing’s position that Taiwan is part of “one China” and instead views the island as a de facto sovereign state.
Beijing has attracted seven diplomatic allies from Taipei since 2016 and is blocking their membership in international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO).
Last year, Taiwan and Somaliland opened offices on each other’s territory, a move that drew ire from China.
The name of the open office in Somaliland also mentions the word “Taiwan”, but most countries, unlike Lithuania, do not consider this East African territory as a sovereign state.
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