Secretariat, Taipei City Government

Representative Guy Wittich of the Netherlands Office Taipei received an honorary citizenship certificate from Mayor Ko Wen-je during the City Executive Meeting on July 14.
 
A graduate of Leiden University, Wittich first visited Taiwan in 1984 to learn Chinese. He embarked on his career and started a family in Taiwan between 1987 and 2009, serving stints at organizations spanning Royal Dutch airline, European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan, and Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency.
 
As the head of the Dutch Mission in Taiwan, Wittich promoted exchanges between Taiwan and the Netherlands in areas such as technology, education, and culture. The name change of the Netherlands Office Taipei was also implemented under the representative on April 27, 2020. Furthermore, a working holiday program in the Netherlands also began in April for local youths between the age of 18 and 30. A total of 100 applicants are accepted each year.
 
During his address, Mayor Ko Wen-je said he is please to have the opportunity to deliver the honorary citizen certificate to Representative Wittich as a way of thanking him. He recalled that Wittich accompanied Taipei’s delegation during his visit to the Netherlands in January of 2018, providing invaluable assistance in meeting arrangements with government officials.
 
Ko also pointed out that the Netherlands Office Taipei has proactively taken part in international events organized by city hall including the Smart City Summit and Expo, the Taipei International Lantern Festival, and the Taipei Film Festival.
 
The mayor thanked the representative again, stressing that Wittich demonstrated his support for city hall through his actions, which allow residents to experience the friendliness of the Dutch nation. He wished the best for the outgoing representative and hopes that he will continue to help strengthen Taipei-Netherlands exchanges in the future.