The prime minister of Slovenia said Tuesday that his country is in talks with Taiwan to set up mutual representative offices. Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa was speaking in an interview with an Indian TV channel. During the interview, he blasted Beijing for bullying Lithuania over the Taiwan issue. He also expressed his support for the Taiwanese people’s right to decide their own future.

In the latest sign of Europe’s warming relations with Taiwan, Slovenia says it’s in talks with Taiwan to set up mutual representative offices. Following the disclosure, Taiwan’s foreign minister said it would warmly welcome the establishment of mutual offices.

Janez Jansa
Slovenian prime minister
Actually, we are working on establishing … Well, on exchanging representatives. Of course, this will not be on the level of embassies. It will be on the same level as many of the EU member countries.

Slovenia’s prime minister said that China should not prevent other nations from developing economic and trade relations with Taiwan. He said that China was bullying Lithuania, attempting to isolate the small country over the Taiwan issue. He called the move “terrifying.” He also threw his support behind the Taiwanese people’s right to decide their own future.

Janez Jansa
Slovenian prime minister
If it’s their free will without any pressure, without any military intervention…then we will support it. But if Taiwanese people want to live independently, we are here to support also this position.

Slovenia’s prime minister is an old friend of Taiwan and has visited multiple times. Weighing in on Slovenia’s shift toward deeper ties with Taiwan, one scholar said there were economic factors at play.

Marcin Jerzewski
Taiwan Nextgen Foundation
Slovenia had joined China’s so-called “17+1” bloc, but because Chinese investment has not panned out, the people of Slovenia do not trust China.

The scholar said that Taiwan was a leader in the high-tech industry, as well as a free and democratic nation. He said that because of this, Taiwan has attracted the attention of more and more European countries. If Taiwan and Slovenia are able to establish official offices in each other’s territory, it would be a key milestone for Taiwan, as it seeks to expand its diplomatic foothold from eastern and central Europe into the south.