President William Lai (賴清德) on Thursday congratulated Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr on his re-election to a second term, saying that Taiwan would work with the diplomatic ally to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Lai extended his congratulations to Whipps and vice president-elect Raynold “Arnold” Oilouch on behalf of the government and people of Taiwan, a statement issued by Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said.
Lai also said he hoped to see further deepening of the relations between Taiwan and Palau, building on the existing foundation, she said.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Taiwan and Palau, which have maintained diplomatic ties for 25 years, have been collaborating closely in areas such as fundamental infrastructure, agricultural technology, information and communications, clean energy and climate change, while also facing all kinds of global threats, she added.
The government would continue to work with Palau to jointly safeguard peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, and further promote bilateral relations, Kuo added.
In a separate statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Taiwan would continue to deepen its cooperation with Palau.
The preliminary results of Palau’s election showed Whipps leading against former Palauan president Tommy Remengesau Jr, while Oilouch was ahead of J. Uduch Sengebau Senior in the vice presidential race, the Pacific Island Times reported.
Whipps has been supportive of Taiwan since he took office in 2021.
Palau is one of the 12 countries worldwide that maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
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