Taipei: Taiwan and its three diplomatic allies in the South Pacific - Palau, Tuvalu, and the Marshall Islands - have signed a joint statement pledging closer cooperation for regional improvement. This development came as Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung completed a visit to Palau, attending a significant annual gathering of Pacific nations, as confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Thursday.

According to Focus Taiwan, during the 30th Taiwan/Republic of China-Forum Countries Dialogue, Lin engaged in discussions with Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr., Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine, and Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo. The talks focused on enhancing Taiwan's relationships with these nations and jointly working towards maintaining peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.

Lin's visit to Palau, which spanned from August 27 to early Thursday, included an invitation to the opening ceremony of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders' meeting, as stated by MOFA. Although Taiwan typically organizes the Taiwan/Republic of China-Forum Countries Dialogue and other side events alongside the PIF's annual summit, it seldom participates in the forum's official meetings.

During the visit, Lin and Whipps Jr. toured several Taiwan-funded projects in Palau. These included an artificial intelligence system at Belau National Hospital, a new golf park, the Taiwan-Palau Hydrogen Initiative, and the opening of solar power and energy storage systems at a consolidated government service center, as reported by MOFA.

The U.S. State Department also announced its collaboration with Taiwan and other partners to support the development of a new hospital facility in Palau. Additionally, they aim to undertake a comprehensive drinking water sampling project across the island's water sources and wells, according to MOFA.

Despite Taiwan not being a PIF member, it has maintained the status of a "development partner" with the forum since 1993. Lin's participation in PIF-related events in Palau followed the exclusion of non-members, including Taiwan, from last year's event in the Solomon Islands. Media reports indicated that the Solomon Islands, which switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 2019, had been influenced by Beijing to block Taiwan's participation.

Currently, out of the 18 PIF members, only the Marshall Islands, Palau, and Tuvalu maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.