October 22, 2017
No.190
Mr. Jean-Marie Voumard, Second Vice President of the Grand Council of Switzerland’s Republic and Canton of Geneva, and four other members of the Geneva-Taiwan Friendship Group are visiting Taiwan from October 22 to 26 at the invitation of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
The purpose of the visit is to gain a better understanding of Taiwan’s political, economic and cultural development, as well as the current state of cross-strait relations and Taiwan’s participation in international organizations.
During their trip, the councilors will call at the National Development Council, the Mainland Affairs Council, the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Bureau of Energy, Central Police University, Taipei City Traffic Control Center and Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation, as well as visit the National Palace Museum and other cultural sites. In addition to attending a reception hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the delegation will also participate in the EcoMobility World Festival 2017 in Kaohsiung City, where they will learn about the development of smart transportation systems in Taiwan, as well as the country’s efforts and achievements in the realm of environmental protection.
Mr. Jean-Marie Voumard, who chairs the Grand Council’s investigations committee, is a member of the Geneva Citizens’ Movement, as are fellow delegation members Thierry Cerutti and Christian Decorvet. André Pfeffer and Bernhard Riedweg are members of the Swiss People’s Party. The members of the delegation serve variously on committees covering such issues as social welfare, oversight and examination, economic affairs, and transportation.
Relations between Taiwan and Switzerland have grown steadily in recent years. Economic and trade relations, in particular, have grown significantly since the Taiwan-Switzerland Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation came into effect on December 13, 2011. Switzerland is Taiwan’s sixth-largest trading partner in Europe, with two-way trade reaching US$2 billion in 2016 (E)