TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A delegation of Italian lawmakers, led by Deputy Marco Osnato, arrived in Taiwan on Wednesday for talks with high-level government officials.
During their four-day trip, the group will meet with Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and Legislative Deputy Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) to discuss issues of mutual concern, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
They will attend a banquet hosted by Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Chih-chung (吳志中) and visit government ministries. The delegation also plans to visit tech companies in Hsinchu.
This is the first delegation from the Italian Chamber of Deputies to visit Taiwan since the pandemic, the foreign ministry said. All members are part of the Italy-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group, it added.
The foreign ministry pointed out the Chamber of Deputies Foreign Affairs Committee passed a resolution supporting Taiwan's meaningful participation in the UN in September. The close bilateral economic and trade relationship underscores the significance of this visit, it said, noting that Italy was Taiwan's fourth-largest bilateral trading partner within the EU in 2023.
Italian Senate Vice-President Gian Marco Centinaio met with then-President Tsai Ing-wen during his visit to Taiwan in June 2023.