by Richard Sanders, Staff Writer
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Meets Estonian Parliamentary Delegation
A delegation from Estonia’s parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, led by Chair Marko Mihkelson, met with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang in Taipei on Friday. The discussions focused on enhancing cooperation and addressing the challenges of authoritarian expansionism.
During the meeting, Tien hosted a lunch for the delegation, which included members Henn Polluaas, Eerik-Niiles Kross, Ester Karuse, Luisa Roivas, and committee secretariat head Birgit Keerd-Leppik, as reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Tien noted that Taiwan-Estonia relations have strengthened in recent years through increased communication and reciprocal visits.
A joint delegation from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania’s foreign affairs committees visited Taiwan last August, and in March, a group led by Kristo Enn Vaga of the Estonia-Taiwan Support Group also visited, demonstrating their support for Taiwan.
Tien highlighted Estonia’s advanced technological society and Taiwan’s pivotal role in global semiconductor production, expressing hope for further collaboration in information and technology.
Mikhelson emphasized that both Estonia and Taiwan are at the forefront of opposing authoritarianism, calling for unity among the global democratic community in the face of challenges from China and Russia regarding regional security.
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Estonia has provided significant support to Ukraine and collaborated with Taiwan on recovery efforts, suggesting that the two nations can continue to strengthen their ties.
The delegation also met with President William Lai at the Presidential Office, where Lai expressed gratitude for Estonia’s unwavering support for Taiwan’s international engagement. He stressed the importance of like-minded nations working together to uphold the values of freedom and democracy in the face of rising authoritarianism.
Mikhelson expressed a desire for both nations to eventually establish representative offices in each other’s countries and reiterated the need for democracies to unite against threats to the global order from Russia and its allies.
由愛沙尼亞國會外交事務委員會主席馬爾科·米赫克爾森（Marko Mihkelson）領導的代表團，於週五在台北與外交部副部長田中光會面。會議重點討論了加強合作及應對專制擴張主義的挑戰。
在會議期間，田副部長為代表團舉辦了午餐，代表團成員包括亨·波盧阿斯（Henn Polluaas）、埃里克-尼萊斯·克羅斯（Eerik-Niiles Kross）、艾斯特·卡魯塞（Ester Karuse）、路易莎·羅伊瓦斯（Luisa Roivas）及委員會秘書長比爾吉特·基爾德-萊皮克（Birgit Keerd-Leppik），外交部報導指出。
田副部長提到，近年來，台灣與愛沙尼亞的關係因增進溝通與互訪而加強。
去年八月，愛沙尼亞、拉脫維亞和立陶宛的外交事務委員會聯合代表團曾造訪台灣，而三月由愛沙尼亞-台灣支持小組的克里斯托·恩·瓦卡（Kristo Enn Vaga）領導的團隊也曾造訪，顯示了他們對台灣的支持。
田副部長強調愛沙尼亞是個先進的科技社會，而台灣在全球半導體生產中扮演著關鍵角色，表達了希望在資訊與科技領域進一步合作的願望。
米赫克爾森強調，愛沙尼亞和台灣都在反對專制主義的最前線，呼籲全球民主社會在面對中國和俄羅斯對地區安全的挑戰時團結一致。
作為對俄羅斯入侵烏克蘭的回應，愛沙尼亞已經向烏克蘭提供了重大支持，並與台灣在復甦工作上展開合作，建議兩國可以繼續加強聯繫。
代表團還在總統府會見了賴清德總統，賴總統對愛沙尼亞對台灣國際參與的堅定支持表示感謝。他強調志同道合的國家在面對日益增長的專制主義時，攜手維護自由和民主價值的重要性。
米赫克爾森表達了希望兩國最終能在彼此國家設立代表辦事處的願望，並重申民主國家應團結起來，對抗來自俄羅斯及其盟友對全球秩序的威脅。
