US backs Taiwan’s move to open de facto embassy in Lithuania
- Island’s foreign minister says plans are in full swing to establish a representative office in the Baltic nation
- Outpost will be its first in Europe to use ‘Taiwan’ in the official name
Washington was swift to welcome the move, saying it stood with friends and allies.
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said on Tuesday that the island was “in full swing” to open the Taiwanese representative office in Lithuania – the first island’s mission in Europe to bear the name Taiwan.
“Our representative office [to be] stationed in Lithuania will be our first office in Europe using the name Taiwan,” Wu said, adding “Taiwanese” was just the possessive case of Taiwan.
He said promoting Taiwan’s ties with Europe was one of the ministry’s core tasks.
“By using the name Taiwan as our representative office, it will allow our friends in Europe to understand more clearly that we represent the 23 million people of Taiwan. This is something highly significant,” he said.