President Tsai Ing-wen has met with Palauan President Tommy Remengesau, her first meeting with a foreign head of state as president.
Palau is one of 22 countries that maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Remengesau was among the foreign dignitaries who attended Tsai’s inauguration Friday.
During Saturday’s meeting, Tsai praised Remengesau for his promotion of marine conservation and sustainable development in the Micronesian region. Tsai said that the establishment of the Micronesia Center for a Sustainable Future and Palau's national marine sanctuary are both important examples of his environmental policies.
Tsai called Remengesau’s sustainability policies an example for Taiwan to learn from, especially because Taiwan, like Palau, is surrounded by ocean.
Tsai also spoke about Taiwan-Palau relations. She said that this year, Taiwan has donated funds and material aid to Palau this year to help the country deal with a severe drought and water supply crisis.
Tsai told Remengesau that Taiwan has also suffered from natural disasters in the past. She said Taiwan understands the economic and agricultural impact of drought, and will do everything it can to assist Palau in overcoming its water shortage.
Tsai said that Taiwan and Palau are close to one another, with scheduled direct flights making travel between the two easy. She said she hopes that the two sides will enjoy closer economic and trade ties in the future.