Taiwan's ICAO bid not limited to assembly participation

Taiwan's bid for a presence in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is not limited to participation in the U.N. specialized agency's assembly, Vice Foreign Minister Vanessa Shih said Tuesday.

Taiwan has been seeking meaningful pragmatic participation in the ICAO since 2009 and has been "hoping for some concrete progress on the issue," Shih said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said previously that Taiwan hopes to participate in this year's assembly as an observer.

Asked about the progress, Shih said that "participation in the assembly is our goal, but it's not the only goal."

Progress on Taiwan's ICAO bid could also mean participation in ICAO Council meetings and other meetings under the Montreal, Canada-based organization, she told local media.

Shih's remarks came just two weeks before the ICAO's triennial assembly slated for Sept. 24-Oct. 4 in Montreal.

The ICAO promotes safe and efficient air travel.

Shih said the ministry will make a public announcement once Taiwan makes concrete progress on its ICAO bid.

"We'll continue our efforts," she said, adding that the goal is to seek participation in the ICAO, obtain first-hand global aviation security information and contribute to the safety of air travel.

Domestic support from the public and from the ruling and opposition parties, improving ties across the Taiwan Strait, and international support are needed for Taiwan to seek participation in international organizations, she said.

Taiwan also expects the improvement of cross-strait ties to be conducive to Taiwan's expanded international participation, she added.

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