The Taipei Representative Office in Greece held the 108th ROC (Taiwan) National Day reception at the Hilton Hotel in Athens on October 8th, 2019. There were Greek government officials and parliament members in attendance. Other participants included the Holy See Ambassador to Greece and many other diplomats, members of the Hellenic-Taiwanese Business and Cultural Association, the Taiwan-Greece Friendship Association, and the Taiwanese Businesses Association in Greece (including Yang Ming Shipping, Evergreen Shipping etc.). Altogether, approximately over 200 guests were present to celebrate.
In his remarks, Representative Sherman S. Kuo pointed out that Taiwan and the EU are like-minded. Both are committed to same values of democracy, freedom and human rights. “That’s why Taiwan and the EU are natural partners and should collaborate in devising innovative approaches to tackling unprecedented challenges,” he said.
Representative Kuo then reviewed the recent developments and achievements of Taiwan-Greek relations. According to official statistics, the annual bilateral trade volume reached 280 million US dollars. In 2018, Greece’s exports to Taiwan amounted to 122 million US dollars, a year-on-year increase of more than 400%. He further pointed out that following Yang Ming’s establishment of a new regional center in Piraeus last year, Taiwan’s Evergreen also set up a branch office in Greece this year. Evergreen is the seventh largest container shipping company in the world; Yang Ming is the eighth largest in the world. The two Taiwanese shipping companies together account for about 30% of the port traffic in Piraeus.
Representative Kuo summarized: " Taiwan is a dynamic, multi-party democracy characterized by an independent judiciary and a sound legal framework, providing protection of property rights and upholding the rule of law. Now, it is the time you could make an effort to do business with Taiwan, to support Taiwan’s democracy." He called for the guests’ support and action to urge the Greek government to open a trade office in Taiwan.
On the eve of the National Day reception, the Greek "Taxidia" weekly published a cover story of Taiwan. The Kathimerini newspapers group provided 200 copies of that current issue for free at the reception.
