Slovakia says it will send 10,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan. The central European country is set to become the second EU member state to share vaccine doses with Taiwan, after Lithuania promised 20,000 doses in late June.
News of Slovakia’s donation came in a press release by the European Commission on Thursday. Taiwan is one of eight countries to receive vaccines in the latest round of donations through the EU’s European Civil Protection Mechanism.
The Slovak Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei commented on the news in a Facebook post on Friday. It says Slovakia’s government has not forgotten Taiwan’s donation of 700,000 medical masks last year. The office says it is Slovakia’s turn to “contribute its own humble effort” by sending vaccines to Taiwan.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry has welcomed the news, hailing the donation as yet another example of Slovakia and Taiwan’s close cooperation in a number of fields.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Joanne Ou says the delivery time and brand of vaccine are still under discussion. She says the foreign ministry will publicize the details when it has more information.