The EU’s top diplomat in Taiwan, Filip Grzegorzewski, yesterday praised the nation as “a land of good fortune” and expressed his best wishes after being awarded a presidential honor for his contributions to promoting relations between the two sides during his five-year tenure.
Speaking in fluent Mandarin after being presented the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon by President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Grzegorzewski, the longest-serving head of the European Economic and Trade Office (EETO), said he was honored to be given the presidential medal.
“I take it as a token of appreciation for my team,” said Grzegorzewski, who is to leave Taiwan in a week.
Photo: CNA Warning: Excessive consumption of alcohol can damage your health
He said he was happy to have seen Taiwan become part of the EU’s overall Indo-Pacific strategy during his tenure and thanked Taiwan for the humanitarian assistance it provided Ukraine following the Russian invasion.
The top memories from his five-year tenure included taking part in a 13-hour Ironman triathlon in Penghu County, summiting Taiwan’s highest peak, Jade Mountain (玉山), swimming across Sun Moon Lake and biking around Taiwan’s coast, Grzegorzewski said.
He said the one main characteristic he sees in Taiwan is “Fu Chi” (福氣), which can be loosely translated as good fortune.
“Taiwan’s good fortune could be a result of blessings from the sea goddess Matsu (媽祖) or its vibrant democracy,” he said.
Ending his address in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese), Grzegorzewski said he hoped good fortune would continue to bless Taiwan for a long time.
“I am glad to be friends with you, and I will be back for a visit,” he said.
Lai said Grzegorzewski was awarded the honor to highlight his “outstanding contribution to deepening Taiwan-EU relations.”
“In addition to speaking Mandarin fluently, he spared no effort in engaging with all sectors of our society,” including hosting the Taiwan European Film Festival, the Europe Festival, beach cleaning activities and symposiums, Lai said.
The EU Investment Forum, launched in 2020, has helped boost Taiwanese investment in Europe significantly, he said.
Grzegorzewski has also helped raise awareness of Taiwan and cross-strait politics, which has strengthened the bloc’s support of Taiwan, he said.
Lai said he hoped Taiwan and the EU would further enhance bilateral trade relations by establishing an “institutionalized mechanism such as a Taiwan-EU economic partnership agreement.”
Lutz Gullner, head of the European External Action Service’s Communication, Task Forces and Information Analysis division, is to replace Grzegorzewski.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS