Secretariat, Taipei City Government

A delegation from Republic of Palau, headed by Minister of State Gustav Aitaro and accompanied by Palauan Ambassador to Taiwan David Adams Orrukem and Ms. Orrukem, visited Taipei Mayor Wan-an Chiang on February 7, 2025. The delegation also toured Taipei Urban Intelligence Center.

Mayor Chiang warmly welcomed Minister Aitaro and the delegation, expressing his gratitude to Chairman Wei-li Hsueh, a Taiwanese businessman, for facilitating the visit. Mayor Chiang highlighted the 26-year diplomatic ties between Palau and Taiwan and acknowledged Minister Aitaro’s frequent visits since taking office, underscoring the strong bilateral relations between the two countries. Mayor Chiang also expressed his hope for continued collaboration and exchanges in technology, smart cities, and other fields. 

Mayor Chiang recalled that in 2021, Taipei City Government’s Department of Environmental Protection donated two large garbage compactors to the Koror Government to assist with waste management. Mayor Chiang also emphasized the importance of deepening existing partnerships in environmental sustainability, smart cities, and tourism, and extended invitations to Minister Aitaro to attend the Taipei Lantern Festival in February, the Smart City Summit & Expo in March—one of the largest events of its kind in Asia—and the World Masters Games 2025 Taipei & New Taipei City in May.

Norman Ngiratecheboet, the Governor of Airai State and a member of the delegation, delivered remarks on behalf of Minister Aitaro. Representing two Palauan states and their people, Governor Ngiratecheboet thanked Mayor Chiang for meeting with them. He noted that in addition to their scheduled visits, they had met with Taipei Environmental Protection Commissioner Shyh-shiun Shyu and other longstanding acquaintances. Governor Ngiratecheboet also expressed his appreciation to Ambassador Orrukem for arranging for Taiwanese business representatives to visit Palau, fostering new connections. He extended a sincere invitation to Mayor Chiang to visit Palau in hopes of creating further opportunities for collaboration. 

Rudimch, the Governor of Koror, echoed Mayor Chiang’s sentiments, expressing gratitude for Taipei City’s donation of the two garbage compactors in 2021, which considerably improved local waste management. He proposed establishing a sister-city relationship between Koror and Taipei. Mayor Chiang welcomed the idea, stating that any form of cooperation, partnership, or sister-city agreement was open for discussion.

The meeting ended in a spirit of harmony, with both parties exchanging gifts and taking photos.