Vice President of the Legislative Yuan Johnny C. Chiang meets with delegation led by Chairman Marco Osnato of the Finance Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies; Vice President Chiang: We look forward to further deepening bilateral parliamentary exchanges and expanding Taiwan-Italy multidimensional cooperation
On the morning of January 9, Vice President of the Legislative Yuan Johnny C. Chiang, accompanied by KMT Legislator Lin Te-Fu, DPP Legislator Chen Pei-Yu, TPP Legislator Lin Kuo-Chen, Director Kevin C.F. Lin of the Department of International Affairs, Deputy Secretary-General Lee Hsiu-Yao of the Department of European Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Representative Marco Lombardi of the Italian Economic, Trade, and Cultural Promotion Office in Taipei, received a six-member delegation led by Marco Osnato, Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies.
After taking a group photo with the attending legislators and guests, Vice President Chiang specially showcased a photograph from his meeting with Chairman Osnato in Rome, Italy, in July last year (2024), reminiscing about the warm exchanges with Italian parliamentarians. Vice President Chiang further stated that he was honored to receive friends from the Italian Parliament on behalf of President Daniel K.Y. Han. This marks the third parliamentary exchange with Italy during his tenure. The first two occasions included a meeting with Gian Marco Centinaio, Vice President of the Italian Senate, in May last year, and a cross-party delegation visit to Italy in July, during which he met with more than ten Italian parliamentarians. The two sides have made multiple visits to each other within a year, demonstrating the increasingly close and friendly exchanges between the two parliaments.
Vice President Chiang reiterated that Italy is an important trade partner of our country within the EU. In recent years, the launch of EVA Air's direct flight to Milan and GlobalWafers' establishment of a plant in northern Italy have been concrete achievements in deepening bilateral economic and trade cooperation. The Vice President further mentioned that many enterprises in his constituency, Taichung, cooperate closely with businesses in northern Italy. Therefore, he specially visited Ufficio di Rappresentanza di Taipei in Italia-Ufficio di Milano in July last year to gain a deeper understanding of the industrial exchanges between Taiwan and the eight administrative regions of northern Italy. Vice President Chiang also expressed gratitude to the Italian Parliament and government for their firm support of Taiwan’s international participation at the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and for demonstrating a strong commitment to the international order in the Indo-Pacific region. Recognizing that both Taiwan and Italy are democratic countries, he hopes to continue expanding exchanges in various fields through parliamentary diplomacy, further strengthening the foundation for friendly bilateral cooperation.
Chairman Osnato, head of the delegation, expressed gratitude to the Legislative Yuan for its warm reception and stated that he was delighted to reunite with Vice President Chiang in Taiwan so soon after their meeting in Rome last July. On this visit, he also conveyed greetings on behalf of the Chairman of the Italy-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group. The delegation includes members from both the ruling and opposition parties, highlighting the Italian Parliament’s cross-party support for Taiwan. He further pointed out that both the Italian government and parliament recognize Taiwan as a trustworthy democratic friend, and that strengthening their friendship and continuing to develop cooperation will contribute to the shared prosperity of both countries. Taiwan and northern Italy have already established close industrial exchanges, which are expected to drive mutual investment growth and further promote cooperation with neighboring countries. He hopes that in the future, the two countries can deepen their cooperation beyond the economic and trade areas, further strengthening their partnership.
During the bilateral exchanges, the visiting members of the Italian Chamber of Deputies actively engaged in discussions, delving into topics such as diverse collaborations in various fields, academic exchanges, and parliamentary diplomacy between Taiwan and Italy. Legislator Lin Te-Fu stated that his legislative background is similar to that of Chairman Osnato, as both serve on the Finance Committee and have long focused on livelihood-related legislation, striving to ensure the well-being of the people. He also agreed that academic exchanges are an important channel for deepening Taiwan-Italy relations. He cited the example of TSMC establishing a plant in Kumamoto, Japan, which led to many Taiwanese schools forming sister-school relationships with institutions in the surrounding area. This has helped promote bilateral academic and cultural exchanges. He suggested that Taiwan and Italy could adopt a similar model to establish a cooperation mechanism, allowing young students to gain a deeper understanding of both cultures while expanding the international collaboration network between schools.
Legislator Chen Pei-Yu stated that she has participated in the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy multiple times over the past decade and is likely the member present who has visited Italy the most. She agreed that enhancing cultural exchanges between the two countries would help deepen their partnership and suggested that Italian universities establish scholarships for Taiwanese students, student exchange programs, academic collaboration initiatives, and Mandarin learning cooperation projects. Legislator Chen further stated that if any assistance is needed in the future, she will make every effort to facilitate relevant cooperation within the Education and Culture Committee of the Legislative Yuan.
Legislator Lin Kuo-Chen praised Italy as a globally renowned fashion capital and suggested that, in addition to industrial cooperation, Taiwan and Italy should actively promote exchanges and collaboration in the popular culture industry. He expressed particular interest in the marketing strategies of classic Italian sports cars and pizza, hoping that Taiwan and Italy can develop more collaboration opportunities on these topics in the future.
Vice President Chiang concluded by noting that among the six Italian deputies present, many were visiting Taiwan for the first time, highlighting the significant potential for further parliamentary exchanges between the two countries. He expressed confidence that today’s in-depth interactions would lay a stronger foundation for substantive Taiwan-Italy exchanges and hoped that the visiting delegates would return in the future to further deepen bilateral friendship. After exchanging gifts and taking a group photo, the delegation, accompanied by colleagues from the Department of International Affairs, toured the parliamentary chamber. The visit lasted approximately 80 minutes and concluded successfully in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
After taking a group photo with the attending legislators and guests, Vice President Chiang specially showcased a photograph from his meeting with Chairman Osnato in Rome, Italy, in July last year (2024), reminiscing about the warm exchanges with Italian parliamentarians. Vice President Chiang further stated that he was honored to receive friends from the Italian Parliament on behalf of President Daniel K.Y. Han. This marks the third parliamentary exchange with Italy during his tenure. The first two occasions included a meeting with Gian Marco Centinaio, Vice President of the Italian Senate, in May last year, and a cross-party delegation visit to Italy in July, during which he met with more than ten Italian parliamentarians. The two sides have made multiple visits to each other within a year, demonstrating the increasingly close and friendly exchanges between the two parliaments.
Vice President Chiang reiterated that Italy is an important trade partner of our country within the EU. In recent years, the launch of EVA Air's direct flight to Milan and GlobalWafers' establishment of a plant in northern Italy have been concrete achievements in deepening bilateral economic and trade cooperation. The Vice President further mentioned that many enterprises in his constituency, Taichung, cooperate closely with businesses in northern Italy. Therefore, he specially visited Ufficio di Rappresentanza di Taipei in Italia-Ufficio di Milano in July last year to gain a deeper understanding of the industrial exchanges between Taiwan and the eight administrative regions of northern Italy. Vice President Chiang also expressed gratitude to the Italian Parliament and government for their firm support of Taiwan’s international participation at the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and for demonstrating a strong commitment to the international order in the Indo-Pacific region. Recognizing that both Taiwan and Italy are democratic countries, he hopes to continue expanding exchanges in various fields through parliamentary diplomacy, further strengthening the foundation for friendly bilateral cooperation.
Chairman Osnato, head of the delegation, expressed gratitude to the Legislative Yuan for its warm reception and stated that he was delighted to reunite with Vice President Chiang in Taiwan so soon after their meeting in Rome last July. On this visit, he also conveyed greetings on behalf of the Chairman of the Italy-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group. The delegation includes members from both the ruling and opposition parties, highlighting the Italian Parliament’s cross-party support for Taiwan. He further pointed out that both the Italian government and parliament recognize Taiwan as a trustworthy democratic friend, and that strengthening their friendship and continuing to develop cooperation will contribute to the shared prosperity of both countries. Taiwan and northern Italy have already established close industrial exchanges, which are expected to drive mutual investment growth and further promote cooperation with neighboring countries. He hopes that in the future, the two countries can deepen their cooperation beyond the economic and trade areas, further strengthening their partnership.
During the bilateral exchanges, the visiting members of the Italian Chamber of Deputies actively engaged in discussions, delving into topics such as diverse collaborations in various fields, academic exchanges, and parliamentary diplomacy between Taiwan and Italy. Legislator Lin Te-Fu stated that his legislative background is similar to that of Chairman Osnato, as both serve on the Finance Committee and have long focused on livelihood-related legislation, striving to ensure the well-being of the people. He also agreed that academic exchanges are an important channel for deepening Taiwan-Italy relations. He cited the example of TSMC establishing a plant in Kumamoto, Japan, which led to many Taiwanese schools forming sister-school relationships with institutions in the surrounding area. This has helped promote bilateral academic and cultural exchanges. He suggested that Taiwan and Italy could adopt a similar model to establish a cooperation mechanism, allowing young students to gain a deeper understanding of both cultures while expanding the international collaboration network between schools.
Legislator Chen Pei-Yu stated that she has participated in the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy multiple times over the past decade and is likely the member present who has visited Italy the most. She agreed that enhancing cultural exchanges between the two countries would help deepen their partnership and suggested that Italian universities establish scholarships for Taiwanese students, student exchange programs, academic collaboration initiatives, and Mandarin learning cooperation projects. Legislator Chen further stated that if any assistance is needed in the future, she will make every effort to facilitate relevant cooperation within the Education and Culture Committee of the Legislative Yuan.
Legislator Lin Kuo-Chen praised Italy as a globally renowned fashion capital and suggested that, in addition to industrial cooperation, Taiwan and Italy should actively promote exchanges and collaboration in the popular culture industry. He expressed particular interest in the marketing strategies of classic Italian sports cars and pizza, hoping that Taiwan and Italy can develop more collaboration opportunities on these topics in the future.
Vice President Chiang concluded by noting that among the six Italian deputies present, many were visiting Taiwan for the first time, highlighting the significant potential for further parliamentary exchanges between the two countries. He expressed confidence that today’s in-depth interactions would lay a stronger foundation for substantive Taiwan-Italy exchanges and hoped that the visiting delegates would return in the future to further deepen bilateral friendship. After exchanging gifts and taking a group photo, the delegation, accompanied by colleagues from the Department of International Affairs, toured the parliamentary chamber. The visit lasted approximately 80 minutes and concluded successfully in a warm and friendly atmosphere.