New York, 24 November 2021 (TDI): The Republic of Palau and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan came together to sign a joint communique to establish formal diplomatic relations between the two states.
In a dignified ceremony, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 🇵🇰 represented by Ambassador Munir Akram @PakistanPR_UN , and the Republic of Palau 🇵🇼, represented by Ambassador Ilana Seid, @PalauMission formally established diplomatic relations today. 🇵🇰🇺🇳🤝🇵🇼🇺🇳 pic.twitter.com/OUBFl0JL2W
— Permanent Mission of Pakistan to UN, NY (@PakistanUN_NY) November 22, 2021
Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, Ambassador Munir Akram, and the Permanent Representative of Palau to the UN, Ambassador Ilana Seid signed the communique.
Ambassador Akram congratulated the Government and People of Palau on what he termed as a ‘historic occasion’.
Ambassador Ilana Seid of Palau and Ambassador Akram, in this distinguished ceremony, exchanged views on areas of mutual interests. The Ambassadors expressed their desires to strengthen people-to-people contacts by establishing a relationship of cooperation, holding bilateral visits, and improving trade and economic ties.
During the discussion, we expressed our deep desire for promotion of cooperation through people-to-people contacts, economic and trade relations and exchange of bilateral visits. We also pledged to collaborate in various fields of mutual interest.2/3 pic.twitter.com/pbYv3bofsX
— Amb Munir Akram,Permanent Representative to the UN (@PakistanPR_UN) November 23, 2021
The Representatives affirmed their commitment to working together on the platform of the United Nations and other such multilateral fora to help advance common issues and development goals, specific to the developing world. The Sustainable Development Goals, tackling the crisis of Climate Change, and combating the COVID-19 pandemic were identified as solution seeking areas with leading priority.
Pakistan’s Ambassador termed this event as ‘a landmark achievement’ and both the Representatives showed their confidence over the establishment of diplomatic ties between both the states, signaling it as a prelude to multiple other avenues of cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
Palau is a small island nation, situated in the Western Pacific Ocean. The nation is a conglomerate of 340 volcanic and coral islands. The Palauan Islands were administered by the USA under the mandate of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, established in 1947.
In 1986, the trusteeship dissolved, and in October 1994 the Republic Of Palau emerged as a sovereign nation, in December of the same year it became a member of the United Nations. The islands are inhabited by ethnically and religiously diverse people consisting of ethnic Japanese, Americans, and Europeans among others.
The establishment of Pakistan’s diplomatic ties with Palau is a breath of fresh air and can be viewed as a very positive move towards strengthening the nation’s relations in the Pacific region.
