Mr. Lutz Güllner, Head of the European Economic and Trade Office (EETO), visited Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che on June 27. The Mayor was accompanied by Director-General Su En-en of the Department of Information and International Relations and Deputy Director General Lin Wei-hsu of the Cultural Affairs Bureau. The two parties had in-depth discussions on democracy and human rights values as well as potential opportunities for economic and trade partnerships and cultural exchanges between Tainan and the EU. After the meeting, Mr. Güllner toured the Tainan Human Rights Month exhibition at the Tainan Public Library (New Main Library), where he learned more about the history and progress of human rights in Tainan and Taiwan.
Tainan, Taiwan’s oldest city, had just held its Tainan 400 event last year, as noted by Mayor Huang Wei-che. With its rich historical and cultural heritage, Tainan stands to benefit significantly from the European Union’s expertise in preserving history and culture. The government team is also committed to promoting more interactions and academic exchanges among young people, further strengthening the enduring friendship between Tainan and Europe.
In terms of economy and trade, the Southern Taiwan Science Park, which is located in Tainan, has attracted many European companies to set up factories in the area. Additionally, the city’s mango and guavas have just recently passed inspection and gained entry into the EU market. Tainan looks forward to more collaborations with the European Union in high-tech and basic agriculture sectors which will enable both markets to prosper.
Mr. Güllner thanked Mayor Huang for inviting him to the Tainan Human Rights Month exhibition, noting that this was his first official visit to Tainan and a valuable opportunity to learn more about Taiwan’s human rights history. He remarked that Tainan and the EU are like-minded partners and affirmed that the EETO will continue to fully support and strengthen bilateral economic, trade, and cultural exchanges. Mr. Güllner also commended Tainan’s achievements in public diplomacy. Currently, Tainan has 60 signatory cities, and hopefully, Taiwan can have more exposure in the global community.
Since its establishment in 2003, the European Economic and Trade Office has consistently fostered collaborations between the EU and Taiwan across a broad spectrum of policies and maintained strong relations with the civil society, think tanks, and academia. In recent years, the European Parliament has passed several resolutions which demonstrate the European Union’s support for and commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.