Taipei: Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung on Thursday expressed hope that Italy would consider sending naval vessels through the Taiwan Strait as part of exercising "freedom of navigation."

According to Focus Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issued a news release on Friday detailing Lin's remarks during a meeting with a visiting Italian parliamentary delegation led by Senator Adriano Paroli, co-chair of the Italy-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group. Lin underscored Taiwan's desire for Italy to dispatch a vessel through the Taiwan Strait to help safeguard freedom of navigation and defend democracy, noting that Italy has recently pledged to boost its presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

The top diplomat extended gratitude to Italy, a G7 member which held the group's presidency in 2024, for its joint emphasis on the significance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. G7 nations, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, and Japan, have reportedly sent military vessels through the Taiwan Strait in recent years to assert freedom of navigation.

Senator Paroli, representing the Italian delegation, described Taiwan as an important democratic member of the Indo-Pacific and committed to continuing support for Taiwan's international participation and the promotion of bilateral relations within the Italian Parliament, as per the MOFA statement.

Accompanying Paroli in the delegation, which arrived in Taiwan on Thursday, were senators Gianpietro Maffoni, Alberto Losacco, Dario Damiani, and Cinzia Pellegrino, along with Andrea Orsini, Luca Squeri, and Raffaele Nevi from the Chamber of Deputies.

On Friday, the delegation also met with Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, who advocated for increased exchanges between Taiwan and Italy in technology, culture, economy, and trade. According to MOFA, the group is also scheduled to meet with Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang, Vice Defense Minister Po Horng-huei, and other Taiwanese officials during their visit.