President Lai arrives in Palau for state visit

2024/12/09

President Lai Ching-te arrived in Palau Dec. 5 during the third leg of his seven-day “Smart and Sustainable Development for a Prosperous Austronesian Region” tour following stops in Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands, according to the Presidential Office.
 
Upon arrival, Lai visited President Surangel S. Whipps Jr. at the president’s office to congratulate him on his reelection last month and discuss various issues of mutual interest.
 
Taiwan and Palau share Austronesian roots and the values of freedom and democracy, he said, adding that the successful presidential elections held this year by the two countries reflect the solid democratic partnership. As the two allies celebrate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties, Lai said he looks forward to expanding bilateral cooperation to benefit the people of both sides.
 
In response, Whipps thanked Lai for visiting Palau for the second time in two years and demonstrating the robust and friendly bilateral relations. He expressed appreciation to the government of Taiwan for supporting the Pacific country’s development in agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries, as well as projects in education, infrastructure, medical care and tourism. It is hoped that the two partners will continue working together to explore more diverse and innovative approaches to drive mutual economic growth, he added.
 
Later in the day, Lai delivered a speech at the Palau National Congress in which he expressed gratitude to the government for supporting Taiwan’s international participation over the years.
 
Thanks to its allies’ backing, Taiwan has been able to help combat transborder crimes and promote global aviation safety, climate change action and public health, the president said. He then took part in the launch ceremony of a new information system at Congress and attended a state banquet hosted by Whipps.
 
Prior to arriving in Palau, Lai made a stop in the U.S. territory of Guam and attended a breakfast reception hosted by Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero, during which Lai expressed the hope of seeing the two sides continue cooperation in areas such as culture, education and talent cultivation. He then visited the Legislature to thank the lawmaking body for passing resolutions for four years running in support of Taiwan’s global participation and expanded partnership with Taiwan, according to the PO.


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