Taipei, July 16 (CNA) Taiwan and Slovakia are expected to achieve a breakthrough in their relationship as the two countries are set to sign a mutual legal assistance agreement later this month, a source familiar with the matter told CNA Friday.
In addition, a Slovakia delegation composed of dozens of members is scheduled to visit Taiwan on a special government flight in September.
The delegation, to be led by Karol Galek, the 2nd state secretary of Slovakia's Ministry of Economy, was scheduled to visit Taiwan in late May, but the trip was postponed until September due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in Taiwan in mid-May, according to the source.
Despite the lack of diplomatic relations between the two sides, the delegation will include Slovakian government officials and will be close to being official because a government airplane will be used to transport the delegation members, another source told CNA.
Slovakia gained attention in Taiwan recently when it pledged a donation of 10,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan. It was part of the more than 3 million COVID-19 vaccine doses that European Union said Thursday would be donated by its member states to other countries.
Galek said Friday that when Slovakia was coping with the COVID-19 pandemic in the country last year, Taiwan made a donation of 700,000 masks to Slovakia, and now it is time for Slovakia to help Taiwan.
