Palau |
United States |
Palau – United States relations are bilateral relations between the sovereign nations of Palau and the United States.
Contents |
Relations between Palau and the United States are excellent, with both Palau and the United States cooperating on many key issues, including the fact the Palau and the United States are two of only a few countries that consistently support Israel in the United Nations. On October 1, 1994, after five decades of US administration, the country of Palau became the last component of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands to gain its independence. In 1978, Palau decided not to join the Federated States of Micronesia, due to culture and language differences, and instead sought independence. In 1986, the Compact of Free Association agreement between Palau and the United States was approved, paving the way for Palau's independence.[1] However, the Compact was not ratified until 1993, and ultimately came into force when Palau gained its independence in 1994. Under the Compact, the U.S. remains responsible for Palau's defense for 50 years, but no US military forces are currently stationed in Palau.[2]
In June 2009, Palauan President Johnson Toribiong accepted to "temporarily resettle" "up to seventeen" non-combatant Uyghur detainees from Guantanamo, at the United States' request.[3]
Four months later, in an interview with ABC Radio Australia, Palauan Minister of State Sandra Pierantozzi "admitted that [her] Government supports United States' embargo against Cuba to coax more aid from the United States". She told Radio Australia's James Oaten: "We have a very strong relationship with the United States and we don't want to jeopardise that relationship, because it would affect Palau's economic welfare."[4]
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Department of State (Background Notes).[1]
|
||||||||||||||