Vice President Lai Ching-te met with a French delegation led by Andre Gattolin, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Forces July 24. The visit will strengthen bilateral links in economy and trade, according to the Presidential Office.
Members of the cross-party delegation include Andre Vallini, vice chairman of the Taiwan Friendship Group, Etienne Blanc, member of the Senate Committee on National Land Planning and Sustainable Development, and Annick Jacquemet, member of the Senate Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Opportunity Equality, all of whom are visiting Taiwan for the first time.
During their five-day visit, the delegation will meet with president of the Executive Yuan, You Si-kun, Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu, National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Chen Chern-chyi, Environmental Protection Administration Minister Chang Tzi-chin, as well as members of the business community and academia.
Lai expressed his gratitude to Gattolin as a firm friend of Taiwan, for his initiation of a letter signed in 2020 by 110 members of the French Parliament, calling for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly. This resulted in the French Senate and National Assembly’s passage of two 2021 resolutions requesting inclusion of Taiwan in international organizations.
The vice president also praised Jean-François Casabonne-Masonnave, the departing director of the French Office in Taipei, for his work deepening bilateral ties during his tenure.
In response, Gattolin said that his letter campaign for Taiwan’s inclusion in world bodies was successful and led to an open letter expressing support for Taiwan signed by 300 lawmakers from 30 countries. He also expressed appreciation for Wu Chih-chung, Taiwan's representative to France, for his promotion of the bilateral relationship. (POC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw