Czech Senator Jiri Drahos, left, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Yui shake hands after signing cooperation agreements at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei yesterday.Photo: Liu Hsin-te, Taipei Times

/ Staff writer, with CNA

Representatives from Taiwan and the Czech Republic have signed six memorandums of understanding (MOU) and cooperation agreements that are to serve as the basis for bilateral cooperation on technology, education and culture.

Five of the pacts were inked yesterday at a signing ceremony witnessed by a visiting Czech delegation led by Czech Senator Jiri Drahos and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Yui (大㵢).

They included one MOU each on semiconductor and education cooperation, signed by Representative to the Czech Republic Ke Liang-ruey (ke Liangrui) and Czech Representative to Taiwan David Steinke.

The National Palace Museum and National Taiwan Museum on Thursday signed separate cooperation agreements with the National Museum in Prague, while National Chengchi University and National Sun Yat-sen University separately signed MOUs with Charles University in Prague.

Yui described the series of agreements as “a milestone” in the relationship between Taiwan and the Czech Republic.

The agreements would “help consolidate the resilience of democratic supply chains in the face of authoritarian threats” and “take Taiwan-Czech Republic relations to new heights,” Yui said.

Drahos, who arrived in Taiwan on Sunday for a six-day visit, said the six MOUs were the result of intensive meetings between his delegation and the representatives of different Taiwanese institutions over the past few days.

These “very important dealings” will contribute to more intensive exchanges between the Czech Republic and Taiwan, he said.

Drahos is chairman of the Czech Senate Committee on Education, Science, Culture, Human Rights and Petitions.

The Czech delegation, which departed yesterday, included Czech Deputy Minister for Education, Youth and Sports Radka Wildova, along with Czech Deputy Minister for Science, Research and Innovation Jana Havlikova.

News source: TAIPEI TIMES