TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan and Sweden can benefit from deeper exchanges, Swedish lawmaker Mathias Tegner said during a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Wednesday (Aug. 23).

Tegner, vice president of the Swedish-Taiwanese Parliamentarian Association, said the two countries share many common values, including freedom, openness, and a belief in trade and human rights. Both countries are democracies that are small but “freedom-loving and export-dependent,” he added.

Because of these similarities, there should be more interactions and trade between Taiwan and Sweden, Tegner said. He also expressed the hope of direct flights between the two countries.

The lawmaker said it has become clear to the delegation that with regard to green energy, green tech, and green transition, there is a lot each country can learn from the other.

Relations with Taiwan are “undoubtedly an important and well-discussed topic in the Swedish parliament,” Tegner said. Establishing a "House of Sweden," as recommended by the Swedish parliament to the government, is one example of how the Nordic nation is boosting its presence in Taiwan, he said.

“This proclamation, to me, was a clear signal that there is a will to have a higher representation here,” he said.

Tegner praised Taiwan for its response to the COVID pandemic as well as its efforts in social justice and climate transition. He also called Taiwan’s democracy “a beacon of hope” and “a role model” to the world as freedom is waning.

Tegner is leading a parliamentary delegation on a seven-day trip around Taiwan.