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Lithuania’s office in Taipei begins operations, Taiwan confirms
- The European nation’s envoy has arrived and started work, according to the island’s foreign ministry
- The news is likely to further strain ties between Beijing and the Baltic state
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Taiwan confirmed on Tuesday that Lithuania’s formal representative office in Taipei had effectively begun operations and its first envoy had assumed duties on the self-ruled island.
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The news is certain to further damage the Baltic state’s ties with Beijing, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan and has warned other countries against having official contact with the island.
Remus Chen, director of the Taiwanese foreign ministry’s European affairs department, said Paulius Lukauskas, who was appointed in August as Lithuania’s first representative to Taiwan, had arrived in early September to open the office and handle other matters.
“He started various activities in Taiwan after completing the three-day quarantine and the required self-health management,” Chen said, adding the ministry approved Lukauskas’ “formal application for diplomatic accreditation” on Monday.
“Once Mr Lukauskas officially assumes his post, the Lithuanian office stationed in Taiwan is basically considered in operation,” Chen said.
Lukauskas recently accompanied a group of senior Lithuanian officials on a weeklong visit to Taiwan, Chen said.
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A 28-member delegation from laser and biotechnology firms led by Karolis Zemaitis, Lithuania’s vice-minister of economy and innovation, arrived in Taiwan on Saturday, marking the fourth delegation from the European country to visit the island in the past four months.
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