Taipei: Representative Kelsang Gyaltsen Bawa held an hour-long discussion with a group of Ukrainian cross-sectoral delegation from Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine (LDLU), Ukraine+Taiwan Forum, Kyiv Independent, and International Renaissance Foundation on 23 April 2024, sharing information about their respective causes, exchanging experiences, and presenting views on the future endeavours.
Headed by Yevheniia Fedotova, the Vice President of LDLU, the delegation, consisting reporter Asami Terajima from Kyiv Independent; a war-related volunteer and expert in post-war rebuilding Uliana Dzhurliak; and Head of the direction of minimisation of corruption risks in the sanctions policy of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention of Ukraine Agiya Zahrebelska, introduced the objectives of their mission that aimed to enhance mutual understanding between key decision-makers in Taiwan and various sectors of Ukrainian society, including civil rights campaigners and volunteers, media professionals, and public affairs stakeholders during the meeting. The visitors also expressed their deep respect for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and stated, “The resilience of the Tibetan people for decades serves as a source of inspiration to the people of Ukraine, who are defending the values of lasting and just peace, human dignity, and freedom, these days. The Chinese invasion of Tibet was the first major attack on the rule-based international order without the appropriate attention of democratic stakeholders. Eventually, the path started by the People’s Republic of China was continued by Russia in Ukraine through the occupation of Crimea (2014) and the ongoing full-scale invasion (2022). Taking this into account, the Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine considers supporting a free Tibet as a lifelong mission of every freedom-seeker.”
In response, the Representative extended his greetings on behalf of the Office of Tibet in Taipei and expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian people’s current situation. He vocalised his optimism that Ukrainians will prevail over the ongoing conflict, citing strong backing from democratic and justice-loving allies.
Additionally, Representative Bawa further promised to forward their suggestions to the Central Tibetan Administration and report their ideas for collaboration to the Tibetan NGOs. During the Q&A session of the meeting, Representative Bawa presented a brief overview of the Offices of Tibet and their undertakings, particularly about the one inside Taiwan.
The Ukrainian cross-sectoral delegation was met by members of prominent Taiwanese political parties, NGOs, and the general public, most notably by the Vice President-elect, Hsiao Bi-Khim.
-Report filed by OoT Taipei