OIA PRESS RELEASE
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne
Meets with Palau President Tommy Remengesau
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Kempthorne and Remengesau. |
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 25, 2008 - Secretary
of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne received a visit from the President of the
Republic of Palau Tommy Remengesau on Feb. 25, 2008. They discussed a
number of topics, including the possibility of creating a National Heritage
Area on Peleliu to commemorate that important World War II battle and the upcoming
Review of the Compact of Free Association.
Secretary Kempthorne thanked President Remengesau again for the hospitality
extended to him while on his trip to Palau in June 2007, “There is no
substitute for actually seeing the place.” President Remengesau
expressed his sincere appreciation that the Secretary actually took the time
to visit, “We are still all abuzz about it.”
President Remengesau asked for the Secretary’s support in the internal
discussions the U.S. is having leading up to the Compact Review. “We
are proud to have a big brother such as the United States,” said President
Remengesau. “Others in the Pacific claim Australia, New Zealand, or France
as their big brother. We have the United States and hope that we can
count on that partnership.”
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Idechong, Whipps, Pula, Kempthorne, Remengesau. |
The Secretary thanked President Remengesau for Palau’s continued support
in the War on Terror and for all the Palauan citizens who continue to join
the U.S. military. President Remengesau stressed the importance
of security and stability in Palau, the importance of the relationship between
Palau and the United States and how proud their young men and women are to
serve. Chief of Staff Billy Kuartei pointed out that Palau is officially
an Induction Ceremony Center for enlistees from Palau and nearby Yap and that
this was done for a reason: so that families and the Palauan public
could participate in these ceremonies and be proud of their service. The
President has a nephew serving and Palau’s Ambassador to the U.S. has
a son and daughter who served in Iraq. Even the Secretary has a son-in-law
who is soon to be deployed to the Middle East. “We are all in this
together,” said the Secretary, “and that is why we have to be strong.”
The Secretary and President Remengesau discussed possible partnerships between
D.C. area hospitals and hospitals in Palau through which, both agreed, could
be shared valuable assistance from basic sanitization and sterilization protocols
to medical equipment.
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In the Secretary's Office. |
Secretary Kempthorne congratulated Remengesau on being honored and recognized
last October as one of Time Magazine’s Heroes of the Environment. They
reminisced about their road trip last year on the Babeldaob road, which they
both took on Harleys and in some areas rode through the pouring rain. The
U.S.-built Babeldaob road was officially opened on October 1, 2007. “Since
the road was opened, we have had an increase in housing and business applications…our
forefathers had a vision for Babeldaob, but we needed a road and now thanks
to the U.S. we have that.” President Remengesau told the Secretary.
President Remengesau came to Washington, D.C., to participate in the 10th
Annual Coral Reef Task Force meeting. President Remengesau was accompanied
by the President of the Senate Surangel Whipps, Vice Speaker of the House Noah
Idechong, Palau Ambassador to the U.S. Hersey Kyota, Director of Budget Kasmir
Remengesau, Chief of Staff Billy Kuartei, Counsel Larry Goddard and Vann Isaac
of the President’s Office.
To conclude his visit to Washington, President Remengesau hosted a reception
on Capitol Hill for friends of Palau. “We consider ourselves part
of the American family and are proud of this relationship,” the President
said in his remarks at the reception. “You can count on us whether it
is our vote at the United Nations, an example of democracy in the Pacific or
the service of our young men and women in the War on Terror.”
President Remengesau also visited the newly opened National Museum of the
Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia, where he donated some World War II artifacts
from the State of Peleliu as a commemoration of the great sacrifice made by
the U.S. Marines in Palau during the Second World War.
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