KOROR (Palau Horizon) — The U.S. government assured Palau that it would consider all the issues that the island nation brought up during the economic consultation recently held in Washington, D.C., according to Vice President Sandra Pierantozzi.
These included Compact of Free Association issues; Palau’s access to federal programs such as legal services, education and health; trade agreements with other Pacific island countries; and financial sector issues.
Pierantozzi said Palau submitted its annual report on the Compact Trust Fund, which the U.S. government will review.
Palau’s Compact with the U.S. expires on 2009.
She said the U.S. and Palau governments are concerned about the slow progress of the Compact road project.
“We expressed concern that the project is taking long and it may need more money. The U.S. shared the same concern,” Pierantozzi said.
Further, she said Palau asked the U.S. government to extend, if possible, the assistance of Micronesian Legal Services Corp. to Palauans staying in the U.S.
“The U.S. said they will look into that,” Pierantozzi said in an interview.
She said Palau had applied for a National Health Services Corps program which allows the federal government to send doctors to communities that need them.
Palau at the same time asked the U.S. if it could enter into trade agreements with other Pacific island countries.
According to Pierantozzi, the federal government said it would carefully consider the request.
The U.S. also assured Palau that it will help the Pacific nation get off the list of suspected money laundering havens.
She said the U.S. government promised to train Palau’s banking commission members.
