On Sunday, June 28, former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) announced that she visited the Italian Senate and met with cross-party lawmakers to discuss issues facing Taiwan. She credited these meetings as proof of Taiwan’s deepening ties with Italy and the international community.

Tsai was in Italy to attend the 2026 Global Women Leaders Summit, which took place in Bellagio, Italy, from June 22 to 25, and was organized by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security. Tsai was invited by the institute to participate, meeting with many current and former women leaders from around the world.

While in Italy, Tsai also visited the Italian Parliament where she was received by Senate Vice President Gian Marco Centinaio. The former president discussed issues facing Taiwan, the Indo-Pacific region, and global democracy with a cross-party group of lawmakers. Later on social media, Tsai called the parliamentary meeting a meaningful step for Taiwan. 

She noted the increasing close exchanges between Europe and Taiwan in recent years, saying that people’s understanding of Taiwan has broadened beyond the scope of geopolitics alone. Now, she said, they also see Taiwan’s contributions to tech development, supply chain resilience, democratic governance and even women’s leadership.

Tsai pointed out that this global integration didn’t happen overnight, but was the result of slow systemic progress through repeated cooperation and practical exchanges. In just one example, she said that this year she saw even more cross-party friends in the Italian Parliament willing to support and deepen cooperation with Taiwan. Each handshake, she said, helps the world to better understand and appreciate Taiwan.

Tsai thanked her Italian friends and all the democratic partners for supporting Taiwan internationally, saying Taiwan will continue to step forward and face common challenges hand-in-hand with the world.