The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Friendship Medal of Diplomacy was conferred Dec. 8 by Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu to Waldemar Andzel, chair of the Polish-Taiwanese Parliamentarian Group, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to strengthening Taiwan-Poland relations.
Leading the second largest parliamentary group in the Polish Sejm and co-chairing the Formosa Club in Poland, Andzel has been a driving force in the promotion of bilateral relations and a strong advocate for Taiwan’s international participation, Wu said. During the pandemic, Andzel coordinated with Poland’s government to facilitate the donation of 400,000 COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan, making the EU member state the country’s largest European vaccine donor.
In his acceptance speech, Andzel said Taiwan and Poland are like-minded partners that share the universal values of democracy and respect for human rights. The Polish Sejm will continue to support Taiwan’s security as well as peace and stability across the strait.
Following the ceremony, Wu held a banquet for Andzel and his delegation.
In a tweet on its official Twitter account, the MOFA said “It was Minister Wu's sincere pleasure to confer upon @AndzelWaldemar the Friendship Medal of Diplomacy. We’re truly grateful for the #Poland MP’s contributions to bilateral ties as @PLParliament’s #Taiwan friendship group chair & @_TheFormosaClub co-chair.” (DL-E)
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