The delegations’ first stop was a local reef-planting ceremony in Airai. The group then proceeded to Koror State Recycling Center in M-Dock and, finally, visited the Palau Aquarium in Palau International Coral Reef Center.
Among the areas of cooperation that the five nations are going to discuss is the environment and clean and green energy initiatives.
Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) President Emanuel Mori and Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) President Jurelang Zedkaia said they were impressed by Palau’s Recycling Center.
According to President Zedkaia of RMI, they have a lot of trash in the Marshall Islands, so they need something like the recycling center of Palau to help them manage it.
“We have a small recycling center in RMI, but quite different from this one,” President Zedkaia said. “The one here is much, much better than what we have. Maybe when I get back, I’ll try to talk to one of my Ministers. I might send him over here to check out the place and see if we can do the same in RMI.”
FSM President Mori, on the other hand, said the recycling center is the most sensible thing that the government must do for the benefit of the environment and the people.
“Our environment is so fragile,” President Mori said. “In my island, Chuuk, we trash everywhere. That’s a very bad scene for the environment. What Palau is doing should be an example for all of us to do the same.”
According to Rallen Towai, Chief Operator of the Recycling Center, the purpose of the Center is for the environment. “It’s not actually for business. We’re working with Koror State to lessen the garbage situation around the island,” he said.
“But we do this with the help of the government of Japan.” Towai said. The 300-square meter facility costs $498,000.
According to the consultant for the Koror government, Katsuo Fuji who also designed the facility, the government saved a lot of money with this project. The facility has three compactor machine and one toner machine to recycle combustible wastes.
The summit officially opens today.
This year’s summit will also be attended by representatives of Kiribati and Nauru.
Toribiong is also expected to raise the issue of non-communicable diseases at the Presidential Leaders Summit in Koror this week.
Other items likely to be discussed include fishing, climate change and establishing a shark sanctuary.
The summit will conclude with a signing of a joint communiqué on Saturday night.
