TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan and Slovakia signed eight cooperation memorandums of understanding at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday (June 6).
The eight agreements include: bilateral healthcare cooperation, bilateral cultural cooperation, technical service and licensing agreement, joint research agreement on power devices, joint research agreement on electric vehicle hybrid modules, and three faculty management agreements between Taiwan and Slovak universities.
These agreements were reached through the Taiwan-Slovakia Economic Cooperation Committee, which was established to establish a mechanism for future bilateral exchanges and cooperation. Foreign Minister Wu Zhaoxie said that he was “encouraged by the concrete results achieved at the third meeting of the Taiwan-Silicon Economic Cooperation Committee.” Since the first session in 2021, more than 26 memorandums of understanding have been signed, he said.
Wu mentioned that the two sides are discussing the fields of trade, investment and technology. The foreign minister praised the Economic Cooperation Council, saying he firmly believed it was “a huge step forward in our bilateral relationship and that we will generate new growth drivers”.
Slovakia’s Deputy Economy Minister Peter Svek, who is currently leading a 26-member government delegation to Taiwan, said their visit “supports the good relations between Slovakia and Taiwan” in addition to the negotiations at the third Economic Cooperation Council. It also promotes the further development of “bilateral economic cooperation, semiconductors, scientific research, supply chain (automotive industry), education and talent training,” he added.
Svetz said Slovakia is eager to increase investments and joint projects with Taiwanese partners and is “ready to provide support and conditions for Taiwanese investors’ activities and partnerships.”
“It will define the framework for further concrete cooperation and the willingness to create appropriate investment opportunities to help our two economies,” Swaites said at the Economic Cooperation Council.
Bilateral relations between Taiwan and Slovakia have been deepening in recent years. On May 5, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Slovak National Assembly passed a resolution supporting Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly. On May 30, Taiwan’s Vice Foreign Minister Li Chun attended the Bratislava Forum hosted by the Slovakian think tank GLOBSEC and delivered a speech, reiterating that like-minded countries cooperate to build a resilient global democratic network.
