Source: Republic of China Taiwan
MOFA thanks Formosa Club for highlighting European support of Taiwan in annual conference joint statement
Date：2025-10-29
Data Source：Department of European Affairs
October 29, 2025No. 433 The Formosa Club held an international press conference following its annual conference in Taipei on October 28. In addition to inviting Vice President of the ROC (Taiwan) Hsiao Bi-khim to deliver remarks, the group released the Statement following the Taipei Annual Conference, which had been jointly adopted by its members.The statement reaffirmed the Formosa Club’s commitment to enhancing interparliamentary cooperation between Taiwan, the European Union, and democratic partners across the Atlantic, and stressed that Taiwan was a vital democratic partner in the Indo-Pacific region. It said that strengthening Taiwan’s resilience was in line with the broader democratic interest. The statement also referred to the European Parliament resolution passed on October 24, 2024, which noted that UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 did not take a position on Taiwan. Last, the statement reiterated that the Formosa Club supported Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international frameworks, demonstrating club members’ staunch support of Taiwan.In her remarks, Vice President Hsiao thanked the Formosa Club for its long-standing and steadfast advocacy on behalf of Taiwan, for passing a joint statement at this year’s annual conference that emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and for calling for Taiwan and European nations to deepen their ties. Noting that developments in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions were closely related, she said that Taiwan, standing on the front lines against authoritarian expansionism, remained unwavering in its commitment to strengthening democracy and resilience and had elevated cooperation with Europe in numerous critical areas.Vice President Hsiao added that Taiwan, as a responsible member of the international community, had also proposed the RISK Management Initiative on International Undersea Cables during the annual conference, underscoring Taiwan’s determination to work with the international community to ensure collective security and prosperity as well as its desire to partner with democratic nations to build a better future for all.Chair of the Formosa Club Annual Conference Rihards Kols, who is also a member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, responded to media questions on behalf of club members. He said that, in recent years, Europe had faced a situation similar to that of Taiwan and that it had experienced several instances of damage to undersea cables. He continued by saying that European countries had begun discussing the establishment of a Union of the Seas to create ties based in international law so as to introduce systemic reforms and give countries the wherewithal to enforce the law. Noting that technological cooperation was of utmost importance given the troubled international situation, Chair Kols commended Taiwan’s technological development and described Taiwan as a trusted partner. He further mentioned that the European Union was introducing its Readiness 2030 plan to reinforce Europe’s defense capabilities and supply chain resilience, and that Europe hoped to collaborate with reliable partners. He stressed that Taiwan could be one such partner. (E)