MOFA Minister Wu unveils US$1.2M donation during videoconference with...

2022/06/14

Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu announced a donation of US$1.2 million on behalf of the government and people of Taiwan to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine during a videoconference June 10 with the head of the OCU, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
 
Comprising US$700,000 raised in a countrywide campaign coordinated by the MOFA and US$500,000 from the ministry’s international assistance fund, the Love from Taiwan donation will be used to rebuild OCU churches and assist those impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
 
Wu said during the conversation with His Beatitude Epiphanius I, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv and All Ukraine, that the plight of those suffering from the war and humanitarian crisis deeply resonates with the people of Taiwan. This is why the government was quick to condemn the unprovoked invasion and join international sanctions against Russia, he added.
 
As a country long facing threats and coercion from a neighbor, Wu said, Taiwan understands the need to convey solidarity and extend a helping hand.
 
In response, the primate thanked Taiwan for its love, charitable acts and timely assistance. Such generosity is testament to the power of good, truth and justice in the world, he said, adding that geographic distance will not stop the people of Taiwan and Ukraine upholding common beliefs and values.
 
The videoconference is the third between Wu and a prominent Ukrainian leader. The first was April 22 with Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, while the second was May 31 with Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
 
Close to US$33 million has been raised by the government from Taiwan’s private sector since the onset of the war, the MOFA said. The funds were distributed in four disbursements to Central and Eastern Europe countries—as well as Baltic states—hosting Ukrainian refugees, seven medical institutions, related nongovernmental organizations in Ukraine and the OCU, the ministry added.
 
In a tweet on its official Twitter account, the MOFA said “Minister Wu held a call with His Beatitude Epiphanius I, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epiphanius of #Kyiv & All Ukraine. He condemned #Russia's war, vowed to #StandWithUkraine & pledged a US$1.2M #LoveFromTaiwan church donation. God bless #Ukraine!” 


Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)