Taipei, Jan. 19 (CNA) An international conference will be held to brief European officials on Taiwan's push for an European visa-waiver program, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.
The conference is being organized to help officials from the European Union (EU) understand more about the process of passport issuance and management in Taiwan as well as the issuance of electronic passports, said Chiu Jong-jen, director-general of MOFA's Department of European Affairs.
"We would like to say that an EU visa-waiver program for Taiwan poses no risk at all, " Chiu said.
Visa officers from countries which have offered visa-free treatment to Taiwan, including South Korea, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand, will attend the Feb. 8 conference, Chiu said.
The conference will be titled "Towards Broader Visa Liberalization for Taiwan Passport Holders: A Workshop." Hungarian parliamentarian Zsolt Nemeth said during his visit to Taiwan last week that Hungary, which will take over EU's rotating presidency in January 2011, supports granting visa-free treatment to Taiwanese passport holders.
Taiwan has worked toward a Schengen visa-free program for years as well as similar visa-waiver treatment in the U.S. and Canada.