Indigenous affairs chief visits Palau for National Day celebrations

Taipei, Oct. 1 (CNA) The head of Taiwan's Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) is visiting Palau to attend a series of celebrations to mark the Pacific country gaining its independence 30 years ago, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.

Serving as President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) special envoy, CIP head Ljaucu Zingrur is heading the delegation from Sept. 26 to Oct. 3.

The delegation is also visiting to mark 25 years of diplomatic relations between Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), and Palau, MOFA said in a press release.

During Tuesday's Independence Day main ceremony held in the Palau capital Ngerulmud, Ljaucu joined delegates from 30 countries, including the United States, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, to mark the anniversary celebrations.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Ljaucu met with Palau President Surangel Whipps, Jr. and presented a congratulatory letter from Lai to Whipps, Jr., according to a social media post by the ROC embassy in Palau.

The envoy also said Taiwan and Palau share many cultural similarities in terms of their Indigenous cultures and that visiting Palau is like a homecoming, according to the embassy post.

In his address, Ljaucu said he hoped Taiwan and Palau would further strengthen Austronesian cultural exchanges and that bilateral ties would last for many more years.

During his ongoing Palau trip, the envoy also met with Speaker Sabino Anastacio from the House of Delegates, Vice President Kerai Mariur from the Senate, and Minister of State Gustav Aitaro, among others.

The embassy said the Ljaucu-led 80-member delegation was the largest of any country, demonstrating the deep friendship between Taiwan and Palau.

Palau is one of the 12 sovereign states worldwide that recognize the ROC instead of the People's Republic of China.