Ambassador Lee proposes a toast for the prosperity of the R.O.C (Taiwan)
On October 6, Taipei Mission in Sweden held a national day celebration reception at the Grand Hotel. The reception was held at the same banquet hall as the first Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in 1901. Around 200 guests, amongst other Swedish government officials, members of Parliament, the diplomatic corps, think tanks, scholars and overseas Chinese participated in the grand celebration.
MP Boriana Åberg, member of the "Swedish Taiwanese Parliamentary Association" was invited to hold a speech during the reception. She mentioned that she made a trip to Taiwan together with a group of Swedish members of Parliament earlier this year in May. Ms Åberg was impressed by the economic progress and the political situation in Taiwan and talked warmly of the scenic nature, the rich cuisine and the friendliness of the Taiwanese people. She also praised the efforts of Taipei Mission in Sweden for maintaining the good bilateral ties between Sweden and Taiwan. Finally, Ms Åberg proposed a toast for the prosperity of the Republic of China as well as for a long lasting friendship between Sweden and Taiwan.
In his speech, Ambassador Lee, representative of Taipei Mission in Sweden, mentioned that the Legislative Yuan passed the "Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction and Management Act" in June this year. Taiwan would like to contribute to the international community in response to global climate change, and hopes for continued support from Sweden regarding Taiwan´s meaningful participation of related activities of the "United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change". This way Taiwan can work together with the rest of the world to reduce carbon emissions on Earth.
Ambassador Lee continued his speech talking about economic relations between the two countries and asked for Swedish support concerning signing a Taiwan-EU bilateral investment agreement. So far 89 Swedish companies have invested 550 million USD in Taiwan and as example he mentioned Swedish clothing company H&M which this year, set up a flagship store in Taipei, and opened branches in Taichung and in Kaohsiung. A Taiwan-EU agreement would facilitate the Swedish companies to continue invest in Taiwan and help them protect their interests in Taiwan.
Ambassador Lee also talked about a Swedish-Taiwanese lacquerware exhibition that has been shown at The Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities in Stockholm, at Form Design Center in Malmö and at Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg. The exhibition was a success and the National Museum in Stockholm has asked Taiwan to donate parts of the artworks for permanent display. Ambassador Lee stressed the importance of bilateral cultural exchanges in order to promote mutual understanding between Swedish and Taiwanese people.
The reception came to an end at 21 o clock in the evening and all the guests seemed to have enjoyed themselves quite until the end.
