Minister Pierantozzi welcomed Australia Ambassador Susan Cox, OAM, Pacific Patrol Boat Program Director Captain Norman Banks, Defense Attache’ Southwest Pacific Wing Commander Wendy Horder and Australian Defense Policy Officer in Micronesia Candice Meszes.
The talk was held at the office of Bureau of Marine Law Enforcement.The two nations discussed the ongoing patrol boat program in Palau and the minutes of the discussion was signed during a dinner Tuesday night.Bureau of Marine Law Enforcement Director Ellender Ngirameketii and Captain Banks signed the minutes.Ambassador Susan Cox OAM and Bureau of Foreign Affairs Acting Director Jeffrey Antol also signed the minutes as witnesses.Also present at the signing were Maritime Surveillance Adviser to Palau Lt. Commander Kimbal Dunsmore, and Technical Adviser Chief Petty Officer Paul Kenny.Ambassador Cox in an interview said that they had a productive discussion about training of the crews of the PSS President HI Remeliik and to ensure that it remains in good condition for patrolling in protecting the resources of the Palau’s Marine waters.Director Ngirameketii in a separate interview said that they discussed issues which deal directly with the improvement of the surveillance program for Palau that includes training of the patrol boat officers.According to him, currently there are two officers from Marine Law who are undergoing training at the Australian Maritime College in Tasmania. They are Oliver Mengirarou and Janalyn Ramarui.Ramarui is the first woman from Marine Law to undergo training.Mengirarou is training for electrician while Ramarui is training for engineering.They started training mid of February and are expected to be back in Palau in April.The training is sponsored by Defense Cooperation Program from Australia.There are about 40 Marine Law officers that have been trained under the program since 1996.Ngirameketii said he submitted a request earlier to have the officers attend the Royal Navy Intermediate Navigation Course which the Australia agreed to sponsor.He said during the talk on Tuesday, Australia promised to secure some slots for Palau officers for the training.Ngirameketii said the training is an intense one and will take place sometime this year.He said he planning to send at least 9 officers to attend the course.Ngirameketii added that they also talked about increasing sea days in patrolling the Palau Exclusive Economic Zone and the participation in the bilateral operations that has been arranged under the Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement.He said one of the major issues that was discussed and agreed is the funding of the Life Extension Project.Ngirameketii explained that the goal of this project is to bring the PSS Presidents HI Remeliik to a dry dock for major repair services.The proposed budget for the repair is over $4 million and Australia will fund the project. The talk between two nations to enhance the patrol boat program in Palau has been going on for more than ten years now. The next annual talk is tentatively scheduled for March 2010.
