Ngerulmud, 25 August 2022 (TDI): Japan provided grant aid to Palau to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. A ceremony was held on 25 August.
In the ceremony, the V-shaped boat worth 100 million yen was handed over to the Pulau Customs Authorities to enhance border protection and security.
8月25日、日本の無償資金協力によるパラオ税関当局へのV型ボート（約1億円相当）の引渡式が行われました。日本製の高性能なボートにより、パラオの国境管理能力が向上し、自由で開かれたインド太平洋の推進に貢献することが期待されます。 pic.twitter.com/zZSNovSqI8
— 在パラオ日本国大使館（Embassy of Japan in Palau） (@OfPalau) August 25, 2022
Palau is a nation of 21,500 population with no military policing the 629,000 square kilometers. Security for this huge area was made possible with the help of Japan.
Border security of Palau is connected to the national security of Japan. Therefore Japan provided high-performance boards to empower the technological capability of Palau for maritime security.
Countries like Japan and the United States (US) had taken a keen interest to maintain Palau border security to enhance a free and open Indo-Pacific.
In March 2018, Japan donated patrol vessels to support Palau to counter maritime threats. Japan provided grant aid to Palau in collaboration with the Nippon Foundation.
The 40-meter-long patrol boats will help security provision to the Pacific region surrounding Micronesia. These boats were identical to the Japan Coast Guard boats with the capability to carry more than 257 tons with a speed of 25 knots.
In addition to this, these boats prevented poaching & smuggling of illegal weapons & drugs. Cumulative project was initiated in 2018 between, Palau, the Federated State of Micronesia, & the Marshall Islands with the Nippon Foundation & Sasakawa Peace Foundation.
Cumulative project costed 4.7 billion Yen with shipbuilding costs of 1.6 billion Yen for the vessel presented to Palau alone. This project aimed to cover 1400 hours of patrols each year.
Thomas Tutii, Director of Palau’s Bureau of Maritime Security and Fish & Wildlife protection said “Palau has had a midsize patrol boat for 20 years, but it is often plagued with breakdowns, unable to go out on patrol.
Major developed countries played a vital role to increase maritime security to enhance a free and open Indo-Pacific for trade and security.
