KOROR (Palau Horizon) – DURING the cocktail reception party at Palau Pacific Resort on Monday for the 234th US Independence Day celebration, the United States through its new Charge d’Affaires A. James Panos reaffirmed its commitment to alliance with Palau.
In his remark, Panos read a letter from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying, “Under President Obama’s leadership, the US is revitalizing old alliances and forming new partnerships based on mutual respect and mutual interest.”
Panos said he is confident that both countries will succeed in this goal. “During my short stay in this country, I have met and spoken with Palauans in and out of government who are committed to reinforcing the alliance that our two countries have forged in mutual trust and sacrifice.”
During Panos’ visit to U.S. Civic Action Team base in Airai he saw the wall of honor at the camp’s gymnasium dedicated to the sacrifices of military personnel. He read the story of Cpl. Jaygee Meluatt, US Marine Corps, a Palauan citizen who died on duty in Iraq at the age of 24.
“Brotherhood in arms and selfless sacrifice such as his are not simply common threads in the history of our countries. Rather, they are bands of steel that unite us and inspire us to take responsibility and work together,” Panos said.
The US believes that with President Toribiong’s leadership and with the presence of a new American ambassador in Koror in the near future, both countries “will move ahead together to seize the opportunities of the 21st century faster than ever, and better than ever.”
President Johnson Toribiong, on his part, noted that the special ties between both countries are enshrined in the Compact of Free Association, “a document that both are now working together to preserve and improve for the long future.”
In his toast, the president offered his congratulations to the US government and conveyed his best wishes to President Obama. “I also expressed our heartfelt gratitude to the US for being such a generous partner and ally for many, many years,” said the President.
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