TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) is leading a delegation to Lithuania on Sunday (Nov. 17) to promote bilateral cooperation in technology.
According to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) press release, a delegation of 20 UAV manufacturers and developers of related technologies will visit Europe Nov. 17-24. The trip, also attended by representatives of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), is intended to bolster the manufacturing supply chain for drones and allow Taiwan businesses to network with European partners, reported the Straits Times.
The delegation’s first stop in Lithuania also comes at a critical time for Taiwan-Lithuania relations. Foreign Minister Lin will seek to shore up support in the country, which will soon form a new government after recent elections.
Lithuania’s parliament swore in new members on Nov. 14, with a new coalition government to be led by the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania. To fill the office of prime minister, the party is expected to appoint Gintautas Paluckas, who recently referred to the warming relations between Taipei and Vilnius as a “grave diplomatic mistake.”
Paluckas has indicated that if he becomes prime minister, which is likely to happen before the end of November, he will seek to improve diplomatic relations with Beijing at the expense of ties to Taiwan. Chinese authorities therefore will be paying close attention to Lin’s activity in Vilnius during this trip.
Lin’s primary objective during the visit, according to MOFA, is to demonstrate “comprehensive diplomacy” to Lithuania’s political leaders and business communities. MOFA hopes Lithuania will recognize Taiwan as a trustworthy diplomatic partner that can offer substantive benefits for partners in crucial tech industries.
In addition to promoting partnerships with drone manufacturers, Taiwan previously discussed manufacturing semiconductors in Lithuania with the Teltonikas group. Lithuanian news site LRT reported that plans to build a 3.5 million Euro facility at Liepkalnis to produce semiconductors with assistance from Taiwanese tech firms are on the verge of being scrapped because of delays in securing necessary electrical power.
As the Taiwanese delegation arrives in Lithuania, LRT reports that politicians are still discussing the possibility of moving forward with the planned semiconductor facility.
