TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A delegation led by National Endowment for Democracy (NED) President and CEO Damon Wilson arrived in Taiwan on Sunday (March 27) and will meet with government officials and civil society partners over the course of their four-day visit.
Wilson will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), and Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃). He will also attend a banquet hosted by Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) press release.
Additionally, Wilson will hold a press conference to announce that the NED will cooperate with Taiwanese civil society organizations such as the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy to organize and hold the 2022 World Movement for Democracy Global meeting in Taipei from Oct. 24-27.
This is the first time the conference will be held in Taiwan, MOFA said, adding that this shows Taiwan's democratic achievements have been recognized by the international community.
The NED has worked with the Taiwanese government and followed the progress of Taiwan’s democracy, MOFA said. With the NED’s encouragement, the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy was founded in 2003, and the two groups have carried out a number of projects to promote democracy and human rights in the Indo-Pacific region, per the press release.
This is Wilson's first visit to Asia since he took office in July. The fact that he chose to first come to Taiwan demonstrates the importance he attaches to the country, MOFA said.