December 5, 2022
no. 366
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) sincerely welcomes an eight-member delegation of the Polish Parliament that is visiting Taiwan from December 5 to 9. The group is led by Waldemar Andzel, Chairman of the Special Services Committee and Deputy Chairman of the National Defense Committee of the Sejm and Chairman of the Polish-Taiwanese Parliamentarian Group.
During the stay in Taiwan, the delegation will call on the Legislative Yuan, MOFA, National Development Council, and Mainland Affairs Council, and attend a reception hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu. It will also visit the Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute, National Space Organization, National Palace Museum, Taipei 101, and other key technological, cultural, political, and economic facilities. The delegation aims to gain deeper insights into Taiwan’s development in various fields and further promote parliamentary exchanges and bilateral cooperation between Taiwan and Poland.
The eight members of the delegation are all important friends of Taiwan. They include parliamentarians from various political parties and an accompanying member of staff. In addition to Mr. Andzel, the other Sejm Members are Violetta Porowska, Jerzy Polaczek, and Cezary Grabarczyk—who are the three Vice Chairpersons of the Polish-Taiwanese Parliamentarian Group—as well as Jarosław Krajewski, Dobromir Sośnierz, and Agnieszka Soin. Mr. Andzel has worked tirelessly to advance Taiwan-Poland relations over the years. For his remarkable contributions to strengthening bilateral ties, he will receive the Friendship Medal of Diplomacy from Minister Wu during the trip. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Polish Office in Taipei, which adds to the significance of the visit.
The Polish Parliament has long supported friendly bilateral cooperation and enjoys close parliamentary exchanges with Taiwan. In July, Legislative Yuan President You Si-kun made a transit stop in Poland, where he met with Mr. Andzel and invited him to lead a delegation to Taiwan. Legislator Lin Ching-yi, Chairperson of the Taiwan-Poland Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association, led a delegation on a visit to Poland in June. The delegation engaged in exchanges with leaders and friendly members of the Senate and the Sejm and gained a better understanding of Taiwan’s humanitarian assistance efforts to shelter Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
In recent years, Taiwan and Poland have signed a number of bilateral agreements, covering youth working holidays, aviation, mutual exchange of driving licenses, avoidance of double taxation, cooperation in science and higher education, and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. At a joint meeting in July, the Foreign and European Union Affairs and Health Committees of the Polish Senate adopted a resolution endorsing Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization. During outbreaks of COVID-19, Poland donated 400,000 vaccine doses to assist Taiwan in combating the pandemic. Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war, Taiwan and Poland have worked hand in hand to help Ukrainian refugees settle in Poland. The two countries will continue to build on these excellent foundations of interactions and exchanges to enhance cooperation across all domains and deepen their close and resilient partnership. (E)