Lithuania seeks to expand economic cooperation with Taiwan despite limited benefits so far

Lithuania remains committed to expanding pragmatic economic cooperation with Taiwan, despite the limited tangible benefits seen so far, according to Deividas Matulionis, the chief advisor to the president, as reported by LRT.

Speaking to Žinių Radijas, Matulionis acknowledged that while the new government’s programme no longer includes a specific clause on relations with Taiwan, Lithuania’s position on the matter remains unchanged. He noted that the Foreign Ministry is actively working on an action plan to strengthen economic ties.

“In the government’s programme, we still set certain priorities—perhaps with slightly less emphasis—but everything depends on Taiwan itself and whether they are truly willing to activate this economic cooperation. So far, the practical economic benefits have not been as visible as we had hoped. We would certainly like to see more,” Matulionis said.

He stressed that Lithuania continues to pursue two key objectives: restoring diplomatic relations with China while simultaneously fostering economic ties with Taiwan. “Both goals—the restoration of diplomatic relations with China, the establishment of a communication channel with China, and the cultivation of pragmatic, concrete relations with Taiwan—are two criteria, two objectives that we are definitely not abandoning,” he said.

Matulionis also highlighted Lithuania’s interest in attracting Taiwanese investment and developing cooperation in semiconductor and innovation sectors, where Taiwan is a global leader.

The Seimas recently approved the programme of the new government led by Mindaugas Sinkevičius, which, unlike previous programmes, does not explicitly mention expanding economic and cultural ties with Taiwan. Instead, it focuses on normalising diplomatic relations with China to a level consistent with other EU member states.