By: V4 Agency
The British deputy foreign secretary has thanked Poland for providing help in testing the more than ten thousand truck drivers stuck at Dover. Spain and Portugal also expressed their gratitude for Poland’s contribution.
British Deputy Foreign Secretary Wendy Morton thanked Poland on social media for providing personnel who worked with British soldiers to test truck drivers stuck at Dover.
Due to the threat of a mutated version of the coronavirus discovered in the UK, several countries closed their borders to British traffic before Christmas, causing huge congestion at the British border. The testing of the drivers took days after reopening.
Poland deployed its own doctors to ensure the speedy return of Polish drivers. The plane landed at London’s Gatwick Airport on Thursday, from where the embassy staff transported the medical personnel to Dover.
On Friday, the Polish military sent 60 additional medical staff to the scene to replace the team of 37 doctors, nurses and paramedics working there since Thursday.
Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Balczak tweeted that the military doctors would also transport food and water to those waiting to be tested.
Polish medical staff not only helped Polish drivers: the Spanish opposition right-wing VOX party also thanked Poland for their help on Twitter.
The party wrote that they were very grateful for Poland’s solidarity.
The wPolityce news portal drew attention to the fact that a lot of people expressed their gratitude on Twitter.
“Thank you, Polish friends, for your solidarity. We, Spanish people are grateful for your help, which is uniqe. The Spanish government ignores everything. Shame,” a commenter wrote.
Others expressed hope that one day Spain would have a government like Poland.
“Thank you Poland. Together with Hungary, you are the last citadel of the Europe we know,” another Spanish user wrote.
Speaking to RTP television a Portugese driver praised the attitude of Polish diplomats.
“They helped not only their own drivers, but us as well. As did diplomats from other Central and Eastern European countries, such as Romania or the Czech Republic. The latter also offered the help of psychologists,” the driver added.