Jaushieh Joseph Wu
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
August 19, 2022
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Good afternoon!
On behalf of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), it is a great honor to confer the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon upon Ambassador Olkeriil for her significant contribution to strengthening bilateral ties between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Republic of Palau.
Ambassador Olkeriil has served as Palau's envoy to Taiwan since 2014. During her more-than-eight-year tenure, bilateral cooperation projects have yielded fruitful results in a range of areas, including agriculture, medical care, fisheries, education, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
For over 23 years, our nations have supported each other through thick and thin. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan worked closely with Palau to supply it with masks, PPE, and medical equipment. When many borders were closed, our nations' travel bubble scheme showcased our strong partnership in tourism and economic development. Taiwan is also an important partner in Palau's medical referral scheme to provide treatment and assistance to Palauan patients in need. Meanwhile, Palau has staunchly championed Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the UN Ocean Conference, the Pacific Islands Forum, and, most notably, the 7th Our Ocean Conference held in Palau in April this year. I believe our nations' friendship will continue to thrive based on our shared values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
The cooperation we have enjoyed in recent years would not have been so productive without Ambassador Olkeriil's dedication and enthusiasm. On behalf of the government and people of Taiwan, I extend to her our highest respect and deepest gratitude, and wish her continuing success and the best of health in the years to come.
Thank you!