Palau – United States relations

Palau	United States

Palau–United States relations arebilateral relations between the sovereign nations ofPalau and theUnited States.

Relations betweenPalau and theUnited States are strong, and the two nations cooperate on a number of issues. Palau is asovereign state infree association with the United States. On October 1, 1994, after five decades of US administration, the country of Palau became the last component of theTrust Territory of the Pacific Islands to gain its independence. In 1978, Palau decided not to join the Federated States of Micronesia, due to culture and language differences, and instead sought independence. In 1986, aCompact of Free Association between Palau and the United States was approved, paving the way for Palau's independence.^[1] Finally ratified in 1993, the agreementcame into force on October 1, 1994,^[2] the date of Palau's independence. Under the Compact, the US remains responsible for Palau's defense for 50 years, but only a small number of Navy Seabees are currently stationed in Palau.^[3]

In June 2009, Palauan PresidentJohnson Toribiong accepted to "temporarily resettle" "up to seventeen" non-combatantUyghur detainees from Guantanamo, at the United States' request.^[4]

In a 2009 interview withABC Radio Australia, Palauan Minister of StateSandra Pierantozzi "admitted that [her] Government supportsUnited States' embargo against Cuba to coax more aid from the United States". She told Radio Australia's James Oaten: "We have a very strong relationship with the United States and we don't want to jeopardise that relationship, because it would affect Palau's economic welfare."^[5]

In 2015, however, Palau voted to condemn theUS embargo over Cuba. The motion at the United Nations was supported by 191 member states, with two votes against (the United States and Israel) and no country abstaining.^[6]

In September 2020, PresidentTommy Remengesau Jr. invited the United States, throughUS Defense SecretaryMark Esper, to build joint-use military facilities and use them.^[7] Remengesau also suggested aUS Coast Guard presence in Palau to help patrol its vast marine reserve.^[8]

In July 2025, the United States asked Palau to host asylum seekers as part of thepolicy on immigration of President Trump. Both, thetraditional chiefs of Palau and thePalau National Congress have issued a formal advise to presidentSurangel Whipps Jr. to reject said proposal.^[9]

• Palau has an embassy inWashington, D.C. and has consulates-general inHagåtña, Guam and inSaipan, Northern Mariana Islands.^[10]
• United States has an embassy inAirai.^[11]

• Foreign relations of Palau

• History of Palau - U.S. relations

 This article incorporatespublic domain material fromU.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets.United States Department of State.

• Palau–United States relations
• Bilateral relations of the United States
• Bilateral relations of Palau

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the United States Department of State Background Notes