Prague Mayor Meets with Media in Taiwan|布拉格市長臨別 歡喜自稱"台北市民"

The Prague Mayor met with the media during the last day of their visit in Taiwan to speak about his experience in Taiwan, during which, he described himself as a "Taipei citizen."


Sept. 4 was the final day of a visit by a Czech government delegation to Taiwan. Prague Mayor Zdenek Hrib met with the media and spoke about his experience in Taiwan during the past several days. He said Taipei Zoo's loan of two pangolins to Prague Zoo as part of an animal exchange agreement between the two cities left a lasting impression on him.

I'm really glad that Taipei City is keeping its promises on this matter, and I think it will be something out of our cooperation that the people could directly see.

The mayor also announced that the two cities will team up for two important cultural exchanges in 2021, including a special exhibition on Czech artist Alphonse Mucha in Taipei and performances in Taipei by the Prague Philharmonia. The media asked him about the one China principle, and he responded that Beijing's threats are "completely unacceptable." Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil uttered the words "I am Taiwanese" in Chinese while addressing the legislature, and Hrib followed up with "I am a Taipei citizen," as he received a certificate of honorary citizenship during a visit to Taipei in 2019.

The certificate is hanging in my office, so if I would say I am a Taipei citizen, it would be not a political support message, but rather a description of the reality.

Prague and Taipei are sister cities, so their two mayors also made time for a meeting. Hrib said the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Prague continues to rise, and there are disease prevention lessons that can be learned from Taipei.

Taipei will donate 100,800 medical masks to the city government of Prague.

Hrib also said he discussed direct flights between Taipei and Prague with China Airlines, and invited Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je to visit Prague once the epidemic situation improves.



捷克訪問團來台行程來到最後一天，由布拉格市長賀吉普召開媒體見面會，暢談這幾天的訪台行程。賀吉普表示，對北市動物園，將借殖到布拉格動物園的穿山甲，留下深刻印象。

捷克布拉格市長 賀吉普表示：「我很開心台北市政府，信守借殖穿山甲的承諾，這是項很好的交流，因為能讓人民有直接感受。」

而賀吉普也宣布，台、捷兩方明年有兩項重要文化交流，包括在台灣將舉辦捷克知名藝術家慕夏的特展，以及布拉格愛樂交響樂團來台演出。由於親台形象鮮明，賀吉普問到一中原則相關問題時，他強調，對於中國發出的威脅，完全不能接受。至於韋德齊參議長日前一句「我是台灣人」，引起熱烈迴響，賀吉普也致敬表示，自己去年訪台時獲頒台北市榮譽市民證，因此是正港的「台北市民」。

捷克布拉格市長 賀吉普表示：「榮譽市民證，還掛在我的辦公室裡，所以我今天站出來說，我是台北市民，這不是個政治宣言，是陳述事實。」

賀吉普也與姊妹市台北市、市長柯文哲會面，賀吉普表示，由於布拉格的確診個案仍不斷增加，很想向台北市學習防疫經驗。

台北市長 柯文哲表示：「我們台北市，會捐贈10萬800片的醫療口罩，給布拉格的市政府。」

賀吉普則表示，已與華航討論台北到布拉格的直航班機，增進雙方友好關係，並邀請柯文哲在疫情過後訪問布拉格。