Culture Minister Lee Yung-te met with the Czech delegation led by Jiří Drahoš, chair of the Senate's Committee on Education, Science, Culture, Human Rights and Petitions, at the memorandum of understanding signing ceremony on Sep. 22. To deepen bilateral exchanges on issues spanning culture, education, semiconductor technology and the museum sector, the agreement was signed by National Taiwan Museum (NTM) director Hung Shih-yu (洪世佑) and Czech National Museum director Michal Lukeš.
Addressing the ceremony, Minister Lee mentioned that he was warmly received by the president of the Czech Senate, Miloš Vystrčil, during his recent trip to the Czech Republic. He was impressed by the collections, logistics management, and space utilization after visiting the National Museum in the Czech Republic. Minister Lee added that both nations are connected by ties of genuine friendship and brotherhood, and he believes this agreement will allow for deeper and more regular exchanges between the two sides.
Previously, Senator Jiří Drahoš extended an invitation to Taiwan to participate in the Smetanova Litomyšl, one of the largest classical music festivals in the country. Minister Lee stressed that the cultural section will be officially established under the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Prague in Jan. 2023, and this will be the first crucial mission of the cultural section. Additionally, in October, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestrator will perform in Taiwan for the first time. Lee stated that the MOC will fully assist the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra to ensure the success of the performance.
Director Michal Lukeš mentioned that the collaboration between Taiwanese and Czech museums has a long history. After signing the collaboration agreement, he believes that the agreement will mark a new chapter for the museum.
Director Hung also shared that during his visit to the Czech Republic in August, he visited the exhibition hall where the exhibition "A Thousand Faces of Formosa (千面福爾摩沙)" by NTM was held. He looks forward to returning to the museum to hold exhibitions in the future.