Czech, Taiwanese governments sign agreement to help reconstruction efforts in Ukraine

On Friday, the Czech and Taiwanese governments signed an agreement to work together to help reconstruction work in Ukraine.

The relevant statement was made by Reuters, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The agreement between Taiwan and the Czech Republic, signed by the de facto ambassadors in each other’s capitals, will see the two working together on rebuilding water and energy systems.

Deputy Taiwan Foreign Minister Roy Lee said aid would expand into other areas to assist resume normal life “when Ukraine is approaching final victory”.

“It is only the unity of democratic countries that will be able to punish and deter authoritarian countries to make the same wrong decision again,” Lee noted.

According to the publication, Ukraine won broad sympathy in Taiwan after Russia’s invasion, with many Taiwanese seeing parallels between Ukraine’s situation and the threat Taipei’s government says it faces from China, which claims the island as its own territory.

Taiwan has donated more than $100 million for humanitarian relief, and joined in Western-led sanctions against Russia.

Taiwan has no formal diplomatic ties with any European country except the Vatican. But, Central and Eastern European countries have been particularly keen to show support for Taiwan – especially following Russia’s attack of Ukraine – defying Beijing’s anger about such contacts and lessening Taiwan’s international diplomatic isolation.

Meanwhile, China declined to condemn Russia for the invasion of Ukraine it launched in February 2022 and maintained close ties with the aggressor state.