The Friendship Medal of Diplomacy was awarded June 6 to Robert W. Forden, deputy director of the American Institute in Taiwan, by Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu in recognition of his extensive contributions to advancing Taiwan-U.S. relations.
Forden’s long-standing belief in the shared values and common interests of both sides is deeply appreciated, Wu said during the presentation ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei City. His staunch support for Taiwan under the leadership of AIT Director Kin Moy has seen remarkable progress in expanding exchanges and cooperation across areas like investment and trade, humanitarian relief, regional issues and security, the MOFA minister added.
According to Wu, the strength of bilateral ties is illustrated by the soon-to-open new office of the AIT in Taipei’s Neihu District. The facility is a concrete symbol of the U.S. commitment to Taiwan, he said.
Other examples include promulgation of the Taiwan Travel Act in March, Taiwan joining the U.S. Global Entry program last year and collaboration under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework. A total of 11 capacity building workshops in areas such as public health and women’s empowerment have been staged under the GCTF by Taiwan and the U.S. since 2015.
In response, Forden said the U.S. has benefitted from a robust working relationship with many friends in Taiwan, and that the new AIT compound best represents the progress in ties. This upgrade to AIT operations puts Taiwan-U.S. relations on the path to success for many years to come, he added.
Forden is a career diplomat with more than two decades of experience. He commenced duties as AIT deputy director in August 2015 after serving as chief of the AIT branch in Kaohsiung City, southern Taiwan, from 2002 to 2005. (KWS-E)
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