Norwegian Liberal Party Chairwoman, Guri Melby, has expressed support for reestablishment a Norwegian representative office in Taipei. During a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday, November 22, Melby stated that reestablishing a representative office in Taiwan would help strengthen bilateral relations.
The former Taipei-based Norwegian Trade Council closed in 2004 while Taiwan shuttered its representative office in Oslo in 2017.
During the meeting, Melby emphasized the shared values of democracy and liberty between Taiwan and Norway. President Tsai highlighted Melby’s longstanding support for international human rights and Taiwan. She emphasized how she anticipate that their collaboration will deepen the Taiwan-Norway partnership.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs organized a delegation, including Melby, to attend the Taiwan-Norway Offshore Wind Forum, showcasing the significant economic collaboration in wind power generation between the two nations. The meeting marks the first official visit to Taiwan by a Norwegian politician in 12 years.
Melby’s visit aims to demonstrate Norway’s solidarity with Taiwan and advocate for shared values such as liberty, democracy, and autonomy. She plans to propose Norwegian support for Taiwan’s participation in global efforts against climate change. Melby also backs including Taiwan as a signatory nation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Melby praised Taiwan’s rapid development of vibrant democracy. She emphasized the importance for European nations to reduce reliance on autocratic countries and strengthen ties with democratic partners like Taiwan.
Source: focustaiwan.tw
