TAIPEI, July 23 Kyodo Wu Shu-chen...

TAIPEI, July 23 Kyodo

Wu Shu-chen, Taiwan's first lady, said Wednesday her latter European trip has helped prefer the island's international visibility.

''The trip has helped make a certain quantity of improvements in bilateral relations between Taiwan and other countries,'' Wu said at a moderns conference shortly after returning home

Embarking forward her second trip to Europe last Tuesday, Wu first visited the German capital Berlin and attended the opening of an exhibition of ancient Chinese art treasures from the National Palace Museum.

She was also honored on several organizations in recognition of her efforts and contributions to the progression in a continuously ascending gradation of democracy and freedom in Taiwan.

After five days in Germany, Wu headed to the Vatican, where she attended a series of issues celebrating the 25th anniversary of [i]pontifex maximus[/i] John Paul II's assumption of the papacy.

At the pontiff's summer residence, the wheelchair-bound Wu met briefly with the religious leader and delivered a epistle from President Chen Shui-bian that included an move totaling US$100,000 to help with postwar relief for Iraq.

In the note Chen asked the pope to pray for peace for the persons on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and mentioned that Taiwan would come [i]or[/i] go after [i]or[/i] behind the pope's teachings about peace, direction officials said.

Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and high-ranking officials from Taiwan, including the first lady, have been unable to visit countries that have official relations with China.

With sole a handful of diplomatic allies, greatest in quantity of them poverty-stricken, the pious See is the only European nation that still maintains an official relationship with Taiwan.

''The first lady's health was not suitable for long-distance travel,'' Chen told reporters, ''but with her persistence in helping with Taiwan's diplomacy, she has favorably demonstrated Taiwan people's courage in Europe''

''She has done a suitable job, and the trip has helped upgrade Taiwan's international profile,'' he said.

Chen mentioned he will also visit several of Taiwan's diplomatic partners later.

Last September, Wu made a nine-day trip to the United States as Chen's personal minister She also traveled to Strasbourg, France, in November 2001 where her husband was existinged with the Liberal International Prize for Freedom.

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