TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A delegation from 11 Ukrainian cities, led by Mayor Andriy Sadovyy of Lviv, expressed a strong willingness to deepen business collaborations with Taiwanese businesses in critical infrastructure on Thursday (March 20). The delegation team gathered in Taipei for the "Rebuilding Ukraine with Taiwan: Innovation, Partnership, and Progress" forum at the 2025 Smart City Summit & Expo.
In an opening remark, Taiwan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) noted the ongoing efforts to support Ukraine, saying, "In the past few years, the people and the government of Taiwan have contributed over US$130 million toward humanitarian aid and the rebuilding of critical infrastructure."
With Ukraine's recovery expected to cost US$486 billion, Minister Lin stated that Taiwan is "eager to collaborate with leaders from Ukrainian cities and help implement smart solutions." In response to Lin, Lviv Mayor Sadovyy and Uzhhorod Mayor Bohdan Andriyiv praised Taiwan's expertise in smart technologies for accelerating reconstruction and urban transformation.
Mayor Sadovyy pointed out the need for 30,000 new electric buses and proposed building new manufacturing plants together. "Taiwanese companies are known for innovation, and we need fast, efficient solutions to rebuild our cities," he noted. Meanwhile, Mayor Andriyiv encouraged Taiwanese businesses to invest in Uzhhorod due to its strategic location near four European countries, and smooth logistics.
The "Rebuilding Ukraine with Taiwan: Innovation, Partnership, and Progress" forum underscored the importance of building long-term, sustainable partnerships between Taiwan and Ukraine, and set an example for global partners to turn innovation into meaningful action.
