President Tsai meets Palau Vice President Raynold Oilouch
President Tsai Ing-wen met with Raynold Oilouch, Vice President of the Republic of Palau, on the morning of July 9. She expressed hope that Taiwan and Palau can deepen their cooperation, and work together to establish broader, more friendly, and more sustainable regional ties.
In remarks, President Tsai recalled that she led a delegation to Palau during her Oceans of Democracy state visits in March of this year. During that visit, she said, Palau's beautiful ocean views left a deep impression on her, as did their emphasis on environmental sustainability. That visit was a success thanks to the assistance of the security team, led by Vice President Oilouch himself, said the president. So she was delighted to return the favor and receive Vice President and Mrs. Oilouch.
President Tsai mentioned that in Palau, she also witnessed the signing of a coast guard cooperation agreement between Vice President Oilouch, who is also Minister of Justice, and Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮). During his current visit, Vice President Oilouch will call on our Ocean Affairs Council and Ministry of the Interior. By expanding on the foundation of our coast guard agreement, Taiwan and Palau will continue to strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation in marine law enforcement, police administration, and security.
The president expressed hope that, through close cooperation, Taiwan and Palau can become key actors to ensure peace, and maintain sustainable marine ecosystems, in a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
President Tsai stated that beginning last month, the number of direct flights from Taipei to Palau also increased to four per week. And from what she has seen in the media and online discussions, Palau is attracting more and more Taiwanese wanting to visit.
In closing, the president said that this year marks 20 years of Taiwan-Palau diplomatic relations and that the two countries have been inseparable partners in development for two decades. Looking ahead, she stated, Taiwan and Palau can certainly deepen their cooperation, and work together to establish broader, more friendly, and more sustainable regional ties.