#palau

#palau

The discussion included several new initiatives that help both our nations move forward, the statement said. Palau welcomed U.S. commitments that deepen a long standing partnership and deliver concrete benefits for Palauan people in health care, security, pensions, disaster resilience, and labor. Together, Palau and the United States also reaffirmed a shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific that protects both nations' prosperity and security.

Despite being a small island nation, Palau became the first in the world to have adopted in 1981 a constitution banning nuclear weapons and created the world's first shark sanctuary in 2009, banning all commercial shark fishing in its waters. Between 2014 and 2015, the country experienced a rapid tourism boom, particularly with mass tourism from China, when annual visitor numbers reached a record 170,000.