Outgoing German Institute Taipei Director-General Thomas Prinz on Wednesday bid farewell to Taiwan, saying that its people can be proud of their accomplishments in the areas of freedom and democracy.
In a farewell video posted on Facebook, Prinz said that it is time for him to say goodbye, as his three-year tenure in Taiwan has come to an end.
He expressed gratitude for the hospitality accorded to him by Taiwanese since he took office in August 2018 as head of the institute, which represents German interests in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic ties.
Over the past three years, Prinz said he had traveled to “many parts of the beautiful islands,” and had the wonderful experience of meeting with students, academics, artists, businesspeople and politicians.
“The Taiwanese can be proud of their achievements, of their democracy, of their freedom,” he wrote.
Prinz said that he had been happy to be part of bilateral projects and initiatives that helped improve the partnership between Taiwan and Germany.
As he prepares to depart Taipei next week to take up his next diplomatic post, in Nepal, Prinz said he hoped the relationship between Taiwan and Germany would endure forever.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Taiwan and Germany signed seven agreements during Prinz’s tenure, including a new air transport agreement this month.
To honor Prinz’s contribution to the growth of the bilateral relations, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) on July 16 awarded him the Grand Medal of Diplomacy.
Prinz is to be succeeded by Jorg Polster, who has been head of economic affairs and globalization at the German embassy in India.
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