The Czech Republic has donated 30,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan. The Presidential Office thanked the Czech Republic for its generosity after the vaccines arrived Sunday afternoon.
Presidential Office spokesperson Xavier Chang says that the Czech aid comes at a crucial time. He says Taiwan is still relying heavily on donations of vaccines from overseas, as it tries to vaccinate its population as quickly as possible. Chang says Taiwan's allies are helping Taiwan reach this goal.
Chang says that Taiwan and the Czech Republic signed an agreement in April 2020 to work together against the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, Taiwan has donated over a million masks to the Czech Republic. In turn the Czech Republic has supported Taiwan's bid to join the World Health Assembly.
The Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil says that these donations are a way to repay Taiwan's support from the beginning of the pandemic. He also says that the Czech Republic plans on continuing to collaborate with Taiwan.
Chang says that Taiwan is deeply moved by the donations and will continue to build stronger bonds with the Czech Republic. He says maintaining these relationships will be critical in overcoming the challenges posed by the pandemic.