To assist with reconstruction in Ukraine, Amb. Lee Nan-yang, Representative of the Taipei Representative Office, Bratislava, signed an agreement on behalf of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) with the Open Society Foundation and the Pontis Foundation on August 1. The event, held at the Office of the Slovak Prime Minister, was witnessed by Chairwoman of the Prime Minister’s Council of Advisors Elena Kohutikova. Taiwan will donate US$5 million to work with Slovakia in assisting war-torn Ukraine with reconstruction efforts.
With support from the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Council of Advisors, the Taipei Representative Office, Bratislava and the Slovak organizations will form a committee to review reconstruction projects proposed by Ukraine. The committee will give priority to urgent projects, with a focus on medical and educational facilities in the Chernihiv region, where the Slovak government has concentrated its efforts.
In remarks at the event, Amb. Lee stressed that Taiwan and Slovakia were like-minded partners and thanked the Slovak government for supporting cooperation with Taiwan on Ukrainian projects and working together to prevent the expansion of authoritarianism.
Chairwoman Kohutikova said that the cooperation initiative was of great significance and served as a landmark project for her country involving assistance from a third party. She added that Taiwan would participate in the screening of proposed projects, which would be carried out in the most effective, open, and transparent manner, and that Taiwan was the first foreign government to partner with Slovakia in 2023 to assist Ukraine.
Slovakia is a staunch supporter of Ukraine in the European Union. After the Russia-Ukraine war broke out last year, the Taiwan government, in collaboration with the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior, donated US$2.1 million and transported over 350 tons of humanitarian aid supplies. The joint effort to resettle Ukrainian people in Ukraine or in Slovakia demonstrates a spirit of solidarity with Ukraine as well as unity among democracies. Taiwan will proactively take part in the work of the reconstruction committee and, when appropriate, invite Taiwanese businesses to participate in the reconstruction work in Ukraine.
