Foreign Minister Lin leads delegation to Drone Industry Business Forum, seeks to create democratic supply chain with Lithuania

November 22, 2024
No. 427

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung led a 59-member delegation from the Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance (TEDIBOA) and 20 related Taiwanese companies to Vilnius, Lithuania, to attend the Drone Industry Business Forum on November 21. The event was cohosted by the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania and Lithuania’s Innovation Agency.

Minister Lin and Legislator Wang Ting-yu, Convener of the Legislative Yuan Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, delivered remarks on Taiwan’s behalf. Vice Minister of National Defense Monika Koroliovienė, Director of the Innovation Agency Romualda Stragienė, and President of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists (LPK) Vidmantas Janulevičius spoke on behalf of Lithuania. During the forum, Minister Lin also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the TEDIBOA and the Lithuanian Defense and Security Industries Association (LGSPA), which underlined the commitment of Taiwan and Lithuania to jointly establishing a democratic drone supply chain.

In his remarks, Minister Lin spoke about the serious threat posed by such authoritarian states as China and Russia as they continued to deploy gray-zone tactics, economic coercion, and other means to pressure democratic nations. Noting that the security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific were closely interconnected, he urged like-minded partners to come together to safeguard their hard-won free and democratic way of life. Explaining that President Lai Ching-te had identified the Five Trusted Industry Sectors in a bid to bolster economic resilience through Taiwan’s innovative and technological strengths, Minister Lin said that Taiwan would employ integrated diplomacy to reinforce economic and trade collaboration with partners worldwide and thereby promote mutual prosperity. He also stated that Taiwan had already proven to the world that it was an indispensable partner in democratic supply chains and that it would continue to share its experience with Lithuania and other democracies. He described the development of close bilateral ties since the opening of Taiwan’s representative office in Vilnius as a model for mutual assistance and cooperation between democratic countries. He said that, given the potential for drone industrial development in Taiwan and Lithuania, he was confident that this new domain would become a success story of bilateral collaboration, and added that Taiwan looked forward to working with the new government of Lithuania to further enhance a bilateral partnership of mutual benefit and shared prosperity. 

Also speaking at the forum, Legislator Wang said that he had accompanied Minister Lin on the trip to demonstrate Taiwan’s support for Lithuania. He pointed out that since both countries stood on the front line of democracy against the threat of authoritarian expansion by such regimes as China and Russia, they should engage in close industrial cooperation so as to jointly enhance economic resilience. Citing Taiwan’s commitment to a spirit of supreme excellence for producing the robust manufacturing base that prevailed in the country today, Legislator Wang pledged that Taiwan would uphold this enterprising approach in the drone sector and work steadfastly with like-minded partners to bolster democratic supply chains.

Vice Minister Koroliovienė noted in her remarks that Taiwan and Lithuania shared the values of freedom and democracy and that Lithuania anticipated building on this solid existing foundation to strengthen bilateral cooperation. She said that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the threat to democratic countries from authoritarian expansion highlighted the urgent need to enhance national defense and all-out civilian defense, as well as to strengthen asymmetric capabilities through the development of the drone and counterdrone industries. She stated that Lithuania would continue to deepen cooperation with Indo-Pacific countries and that it hoped to pursue strategic collaboration with Taiwan in the drone industry so as to create a democratic defense supply chain. Director Stragienė and LPK President Janulevičius conveyed similar expectations in their remarks. 

This first Drone Industry Business Forum coorganized by Taiwan and Lithuania attracted participants from more than 40 companies from Lithuania and Ukraine. Interactions were lively at the event, which was attended by more than 200 people, including officials from the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of the Economy and Innovation. With staunch government support from both sides, Taiwan and Lithuania will use this platform to foster industrial linkages and jointly create business opportunities in drone markets in Europe and beyond. Minister Lin’s presence at the head of the delegation to the forum underscored the importance he places on the bilateral partnership and his commitment to engage proactively with Lithuania’s new government. (E)