Remarks at the Legislative Yuan
Markéta Pekarová Adamová
Remarks to welcome Czech Chamber of Deputies Speaker Markéta Pekarová Adamová before her keynote speech to the Legislative Yuan
You Si-kun
President of the Legislative Yuan
March 28, 2023
H.E. Markéta Pekarová Adamová, Speaker of the Czech Chamber of Deputies; Legislative Yuan Vice President Tsai Chi-chang; parliamentarians of Taiwan and the Czech Republic; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen; good morning!
Today marks the fifth Yuan sitting of the seventh session of the 10th Legislative Yuan. We are honored by the presence today of a very special guest. I invite you to join me in warmly welcoming H.E. Markéta Pekarová Adamová, Speaker of the Czech Chamber of Deputies, and the delegation of Czech parliamentarians to the Legislative Yuan.
Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil led a delegation to Taiwan in 2020. This was a major breakthrough in relations between Taiwan and the Czech Republic. He was the first senate president from a non-diplomatic ally to ever address the Legislative Yuan. His visit was like a swallow in springtime, bringing good news to Taiwan and conveying the support of the international community to democratic Taiwan. Since his visit, our relations have continued to blossom, with trade growing for two consecutive years: last year, it jumped 20.25 percent. In addition, his visit encouraged major political figures from European democracies to further elevate Taiwan’s international visibility. This testifies to the important role of the Czech Republic as a gateway for Taiwan to Europe. Speaker Adamová’s visit today is profoundly significant. As you mentioned, stronger bilateral cooperation is in the interests of the Czech Republic. More importantly, your decision to visit Taiwan in springtime and stand with a democratic alliance partner is a strong conveyance of your support. You bring with you the spirit of the Czech Republic, which has been undaunted by big powers in launching reforms such as the Prague Spring in 1968 and the Velvet Revolution in 1989.
As such, on this special day, on behalf of the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I will confer upon you the First-Class Medal of Honor for Parliamentary Diplomacy in recognition of your tremendous contributions to supporting democratic Taiwan. Speaker Adamová is the first woman parliamentary speaker from a non-diplomatic ally to receive this honor. Once again, I thank the Czech Republic for its unswerving support of Taiwan. I want to thank the Czech parliament for its contributions to this effort. Now, I invite Speaker Adamová to take the floor.