On December 7th I proudly accompanied Ambassador Uludong at the signing of the short stay waiver visa agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Palau.
This historical agreement for Palau will be officially applied starting on 8th December 2015. It states that any citizen of either party is now permitted to spend a maximum of 90 days in any consecutive 180-day period without a visa in the other territory.
HE Ms. Ngedikes Olai Uludong, Palau Ambassador to the EU;... HE Mr. Christian BRAUN, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the EU; Ms. Yolanda GALLEGO-CASILDA-GRAU, Head of Unit, DG HOME were all signatories to the agreement, and members of the Palauan delegation, including the Honorable Consul-General of Palau to Belgium Mr. Stefan Claes as well as the assistant to the Ambassador Uludong, Ms. Alessandra Santiago, were both present to witness this historical moment in Brussels, Belgium.
Brief statements were delivered with Ambassador Braun representing the European Union outlined the recent history of Palau’s visa-exempt status with the E.U., while highlighting the ease and enthusiasm with which this agreement was enacted. Ms. Gallego-Casilda Grau spoke on behalf of the European Commission about the cultural and trade exchange to grow between the two parties as a result of this agreement.
Finally, Ambassador Uludong spoke about the cooperation between Palau and the E.U., talking about the bilateral partnership moving forward towards a low-Carbon economy and the E.U. Development Fund Programmes on Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Energy Conservation. She also called upon the existing bilateral diplomatic ties with the states in the E.U., especially those with whom Palau has a close and warm relationship: Italy, Belgium, France, Germany, Monaco, and Austria.
This agreement marks a new milestone that will allow for greater social and economic exchange between our people by enabling Palauans to more easily explore this beautiful and culturally rich continent said Ambassador Uludong.
