On behalf of the Foreign Minister of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Lin Chia-Lung, Ambassador Roy Chun Lee conferred the Friendship Medal of Diplomacy upon Georges Dallemagne, former Co-President of the Belgium-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group and former Honorable member of the Belgian Chamber of Representative, on September 11, 2024. The honor was awarded in recognition of Mr. Dallemagne’s outstanding contributions to, and the long-term support of, promoting relations between Taiwan and Belgium. Upon receiving the medal, Mr. Dallemagne expressed his honor, and noted that Taiwan and Belgium enjoy many similarities, including the shared values of freedom and democracy, while they also face many of the same external challenges. He also pointed out that since becoming a federal senator in 2003, he promoted the passage of the first resolution in the Belgian parliament expressing support for Taiwan. Since that time, Taiwan has received increasing attention from all walks of life in Belgium and among the international community, he said, adding that he has found this very gratifying. Mr. Dallemagne further stressed that he will continue to work with like-minded partners such as Taiwan to defend the universal values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.
Ambassador Lee also presented a certificate of appreciation to Mr. Julien Uyttendaele, former Belgian Senator and former Co-President of the Belgium-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group, expressing his sincere gratitude for his assistance in expanding relations between Taiwan and Belgium during his tenure. Mr. Julien Uyttendaele stated he was very glad to receive the award and pledged that he will continue to help promote friendly relations between both countries.
Members of Parliament from both sides also attended the ceremony, including a Taiwanese parliamentary delegation represented by legislators Hon. Mr. Hung-Lu Chang, Hon. Ms. Chu-Yin Lin and Hon. Mr. Sun-Han Hung, as well as their Belgian honorable colleagues, Ms. Els Van Hoof, President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Representatives, and Mr. Benoît Piedboeuf, Honorable Member of the Chamber of Representatives. The parliamentarians took the opportunity to exchange views on issues of common concern, such as the Indo-Pacific region and the international geopolitical situation. Both sides also agreed that they would help enhance exchanges and ties between Taiwan and Belgium.
