Outgoing EU envoy awarded medal for advancing Taiwan-EU ties

Taipei, July 11 (CNA) Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) on Thursday conferred a medal on the European Union envoy Filip Grzegorzewski, honoring the departing official's efforts to enhance the bloc's ties with Taiwan.

At a ceremony in Taipei, Lin presented the Friendship Medal of Diplomacy to Grzegorzewski, head of the European Economic and Trade Office (EETO) in Taiwan, and lauded the envoy for his "great achievements in enhancing the partnership" between Taiwan and the EU over the past five years.

According to Lin, Grzegorzewski, who assumed office in September 2019, has played "a crucial role" in increasing the EU's attention to and discussions about the situation in Taiwan.

In one of the most recent instances, Lin said, the European Council expressed its concerns over the "growing tensions in the Taiwan Strait" and its opposition to "any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion."

He was referring to the conclusions drawn from a European Council meeting in June 2023, during which EU leaders discussed the EU-China relationship, support for Ukraine, and the bloc's economy, according to a press release issued by the council after the meeting.

Praising Taiwan as a "symbol" of development, open society, and freedom, Grzegorzewski said people from Taiwan and the EU had been bound by the shared values of human rights, the rule of law and democracy.

The EU and Taiwan are also important economic and trade partners, the official said, noting that the EU was Taiwan's largest investor, accounting for over 25 percent of the island's foreign direct investment.

EU investment has not only contributed to Taiwan's job market and economic development but also connected Taiwan with the global community, he said, adding that he was "very, very proud" of this achievement.