On the afternoon of July 16, President Daniel K.Y. Han (韓國瑜) of the Legislative Yuan received a six-member cross-party parliamentary delegation from Estonia. He was accompanied by DPP Legislator Dr. Chiu Chih-Wei, Chair of the Taiwan-Nordic Countries and Baltic States Parliamentary Friendship Association, which covers Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia; KMT Legislator Dr. Lin Chien-Chi; TPP Legislator Dr. Hsu Chung-Hsin; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Amb. François Chihchung Wu; and others.
President Han first warmly welcomed the delegation to the Legislative Yuan and said he was pleased to see Chair Kristo Enn Vaga again after receiving him in March 2024. President Han then introduced the legislators in attendance and Taiwan’s parliamentary system to the visitors. He also thanked Estonia for its long-standing support for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA), emphasizing that Taiwan has a comprehensive and advanced healthcare system and hopes to share its medical achievements with countries around the world.
President Han further noted that bilateral trade between Taiwan and Estonia reached US$70.9 million in 2025, while the total trade from January to May this year alone had grown by nearly 20%, pointing to strong potential for closer trade ties between the two countries. He added that although Estonia has a population of less than 1.4 million, more than 99% of its public services have been digitized, making it a global model of digital democracy and an example from which Taiwan can learn.
President Han stated that Taiwan is internationally recognized for its high-tech industries, and that its small and medium-sized enterprises are also highly competitive, producing many hidden champion products used around the world, including jerseys worn by players at the FIFA World Cup. He expressed hope that Taiwan and Estonia would build closer ties in trade and other fields, continue to deepen their partnership, and wished the delegation a smooth, successful, and fruitful visit.
In his remarks, Chair Vaga said he was very pleased to visit the Legislative Yuan again. He recalled that during his first visit to Taiwan in 2024, his first stop was a meeting with President Han, which left a lasting impression on him. He also thanked President Han for his years of dedication to deepening Taiwan-Estonia exchanges and for laying a solid foundation for bilateral cooperation. Chair Vaga noted that members of the Estonia-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group currently account for nearly one quarter of all seats in the Riigikogu, fully demonstrating cross-party support for Taiwan. He said the group will continue working to expand support for Taiwan and further promote parliamentary exchanges between the two countries.
During the bilateral exchange, Legislator Chiu said he hoped to have the opportunity to visit Estonia for further exchanges. He shared that 26 years ago, while serving as a visiting scholar at the University of Tartu in Estonia, he was deeply impressed by the country’s rich cultural heritage, friendly people, and beautiful scenery. Legislator Chiu also noted that although Taiwan and Estonia are geographically far apart, he hoped that flight connectivity between the two sides will improve and that reciprocal representative offices can also be established, helping strengthen exchanges in trade, politics, security, and other areas. He also expressed hope for further cooperation in the drone industry and related sectors.
Legislator Lin welcomed the delegation and said that she has long focused on education, culture, and Indigenous affairs, and is also a sailor. She noted that Estonia has a rich sailing culture and hosted the Garmin ORC World Championship 2025, which left a strong impression on her. She added that she looks forward to visiting Estonia in the future. Legislator Lin further stated that Taiwan and Estonia share democratic values and have broad potential for cooperation in parliamentary exchanges, information security, digital technology, youth affairs, education and culture, trade, sports, and other fields. She expressed hope that the two sides will continue to deepen bilateral cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.
Legislator Hsu emphasized that Taiwan and Estonia share the core values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, providing a strong basis for like-minded cooperation. He noted that the Legislative Yuan is currently considering several bills related to the drone industry as part of Taiwan’s broader efforts to promote the sector’s development. He expressed hope that Taiwan will strengthen cooperation with more partner countries, and said he believes the delegation’s visit will open up new opportunities for cooperation between Taiwan and Estonia.
During the meeting, the two sides also exchanged views on a wide range of issues, including Taiwan-Estonia parliamentary exchanges, defense industry development, and trade cooperation. The meeting lasted approximately 55 minutes and took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere, concluding successfully with an exchange of commemorative gifts. (2026/07/16)
