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On the afternoon of November 12, President Tsai Ing-wen met with Republic of Palau President Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr. and Mrs. Remengesau, and spoke about Taiwan and Palau's extensive interaction and exchanges. President Tsai also expressed her hope for even stronger cooperation with Palau to promote progress and development in both countries.
In her remarks, President Tsai recalled that when President Remengesau visited Taiwan over two years ago, the two sides enjoyed a productive exchange of ideas on issues ranging from marine conservation to economic cooperation. It was a pleasure, she said, to be able to meet President Remengesau again and discuss things in person.
President Tsai observed that in the past two plus years, Taiwan and Palau have grown even closer. Cooperative projects in all fields have shown tremendous results, from the promotion of vegetable and fruit production techniques to training for medical personnel. Just last month, she met with Taiwan's international youth ambassadors, including a delegation that visited Palau in the summer. President Tsai also mentioned that this past September, Taiwan and Palau officially began agricultural trade, so more and more people in Palau will have the opportunity to taste high-quality vegetables and fruits from Taiwan.
Taiwan and Palau are both maritime nations, added President Tsai, and therefore have much room for cooperation regarding environmental sustainability. President Remengesau's tourism policy has clearly prioritized quality over quantity, she remarked. In addition to emphasizing environmental conservation, these efforts help everyone who visits Palau understand the importance of working together to protect that island homeland, she said, expressing great admiration for that kind of dedication.
She also pointed out that geographically, Palau is our closest diplomatic ally, and we encourage our citizens to visit Palau. In recent years, President Remengesau has not given in to pressure and changed his tourism policies, and has maintained steadfast support for Taiwan. This is quite touching, she said, and added that she hopes to visit Palau in the future to get to know this beautiful and unique ally, and learn more about our countries' cooperation first-hand.
President Tsai closed by saying that Taiwan and Palau are still working together to achieve many other goals. Earlier this year, a roundtable meeting of the Austronesian Forum unanimously agreed to establish the forum's headquarters in Palau, and its Secretariat in Taiwan. Future exchanges and connections between Austronesian peoples will thus depend on joint efforts between our two governments and peoples, she said. These interactions will only bring our two countries closer, added the president, who said that she looked forward to even stronger cooperation with Palau to further progress and development for both sides.
Following President Tsai's address, President Remengesau began his remarks by expressing appreciation for the warm welcome and hospitality his delegation has received from the Taiwan government. He was very pleased, he said, to see that since his visit two years ago, when President Tsai first took office, bilateral cooperation has made great progress.
President Remengesau pointed out that Palau and the Republic of China (Taiwan) are more like brothers and sisters, and our shared Austronesian cultural background and relationship bring us closer as fellow island people. The president observed that although Taiwan began with agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries, today it is one of the top technological and industrial nations in the world. As an island nation itself, he said, Palau treasures Taiwan's development experience, and still has much to learn from its ally.
President Remengesau also spoke of the two countries' partnership since establishing diplomatic ties. The people of Palau, he said, very much appreciate this partnership in education, healthcare, people-to-people exchange programs, as well as economic development. "We have a strong future together," stated the president. Finally, President Remengesau pointed out that the Republic of China (Taiwan) has a lot to contribute to the international community, especially to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations. "We all need each other to survive," he said, to help the world resolve problems around sustainable development. President Remengesau then concluded his remarks with warm regards and appreciation from the government and people of Palau.
