By Bernadette H. Carreon
Horizon news staff

President Remengesau said that during the Economic Consultation meeting in Washington, Palau will again urge the United States government to begin the negotiation process for the Compact of Free Association agreement.
The president earlier asked U.S. President George Bush to start negotiation process before 2008 to allow the agreement to be submitted to a referendum simultaneous with the election.
The president in an interview said that Palau’s Compact negotiation should be treated differently from other Freely Associated States countries.
He said that Palau has been successful with managing its Compact and that its issues are different from Federated States of Micronesia and Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Remengesau will leave Palau on May 5 to attend the Pacific Island Conference of Leaders meeting in Washington D.C.
He will also attend the annual Palau and US bilateral economic consultation with members of the Compact Review Commission on May 10.
On May 11, commission members with the president will meet more US government officials and on May 12 the members will meet with a group of Palauans from Washington.