NEWARK, NJ – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and co-chair of the Senate Taiwan Caucus, issued the following statement after the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) excluded Taiwan from participating at the organization’s upcoming 39th assembly next week in Canada. In 2013, Menendez coauthored Senate legislation S.579 which advanced efforts to give Taiwan observer status at ICAO.

“I am extremely disappointed by the decision of the ICAO not to issue an invitation to Taiwan to attend the 2016 ICAO Assembly in Montreal next week. Participation in ICAO, including ICAO assemblies, would have ensured that Taiwan had the technical information it needs to be a safe, secure, and responsible member of the international civil aviation community.”

“ICAO’s unfortunate lack of resolve in the apparent face of Chinese coercion is deeply regrettable and reflects poorly on an agency created by the United Nations in 1944 to support a safe, efficient, secure, economically sustainable and environmentally responsible international civil aviation sector. The vagaries of cross-strait relations should not be allowed to prevent the prudent participation of Taiwan in the upcoming assembly. I urge ICAO to reconsider this decision and to demonstrate leadership, fairness, and courage by allowing the needful participation of Taiwan at the upcoming assembly.”

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