Slovakia's donation of 160,000 AZ shots arrives in Taiwan

According to [Taiwan News], the batch of 160,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses donated by Slovakia has arrived in Taiwan.

The doses reached Taoyuan International Airport on Sunday morning (Sept. 26). Chou Ji-haw (周志浩), head of the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control; Chen Yung-shao (陳詠韶), deputy director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (MOFA) European Affairs department; Slovakian Representative to Taiwan Martin Podstavek; and Deputy Representative Michaela Sulakova were present to receive the shipment.

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MOFA thanks Slovakia for their donation of 160,000 AZ vaccine doses. (Photo / Provided by MOFA)

In a press release, MOFA thanked the government and people of Slovakia for their generosity and kindness. The ministry called Slovakia one of Taiwan’s “staunchest democratic partners” in Central and Eastern Europe.

The two countries share universal values such as freedom, democracy, and human rights, the foreign ministry said, adding that bilateral cooperation in fighting the pandemic has brought the two peoples closer together.

This donation has garnered special attention from Slovakia’s foreign, economic, and health ministries, which symbolizes the close bilateral relations and emphasizes Taiwan’s image as a "very important friendly country," MOFA said.

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Slovakia's donation of 160,000 AZ shots arrives in Taiwan. (Photo / Provided by MOFA)

MOFA said that it had worked with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Slovakian representative office in Taiwan to coordinate and complete relevant legal procedures to make the donation possible, demonstrating the close exchanges between the two governments and determination to fight the pandemic together.

According to [Taiwan News], Slovakia had in mid-July pledged to donate 10,000 doses to Taiwan but announced on Sept. 24 that it would increase the total to 160,000.