Taiwan donated 200,000 surgical masks to European ally Holy See during a ceremony April 22 at Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Taipei City.
Overseeing the event was Deputy Foreign Minister Kelly Wu-chiao Hsieh, who said the donation will help protect frontline medical staffers and members of the church, while supporting Catholic institutions in their hour of need. Only through working together can countries overcome this unprecedented public health crisis, he added.
Taiwan has earned praise from around the world for its effective model managing the COVID-19 pandemic, Hsieh said, adding that Taiwan Can Help strengthen global disease-fighting efforts by sharing its expertise with allies and like-minded partners.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the Holy See, Charge d’Affaires Monsignor Arnaldo Catalan thanked Taiwan’s government for its generosity and timely assistance to hard-hit areas in Europe and conveyed Pope Francis’s best regards to the Taiwan people.
The donation follows a previous contribution of 280,000 surgical masks given to the Holy See April 9. To date, Taiwan has pledged to donate over 16 million surgical masks to its allies and countries in America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific for use as personal protective equipment. (YCH-E)
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