Delivered by the Chair of the Pacific ACP Leaders Meeting, President of Palau, H.E Surangel Whipps, Jr
Ngarachamayong Cultural Center, Koror, Palau
31 August 2026
Colleague Leaders,
All protocols observed.
On behalf of the Government and the people of the Republic of Palau, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 2026 Pacific ACP Leaders Meeting.
It has been a busy year for all of us, compounded by prevailing geopolitical pressures and uncertainties. And it is why I appreciate our annual gathering as Leaders, as it offers a crucial opportunity for all of us to reflect on and reaffirm the values that underpin our regional strength.
Today, and throughout this week, our discussions will focus on partnerships. Current global developments demands that we must, and we have the opportunity this week to revisit these partnerships, and to reaffirm the value and benefits they bring.
The Samoa Agreement is one such mechanism. It underpins our relationship with one of our valued partners, the European Union, through the OACPS. Allow me to take this opportunity to encourage those of us that have not ratified the Samoa Agreement, to do so, to enable its smooth implementation.
The Pacific Regional Protocol provides an important platform to advance our regional priorities in partnership with the European Union. Implementation should not simply be about establishing institutions, or procedures. Its value must be measured by what it enables the Pacific to achieve: stronger political engagement, better alignment of development cooperation with our priorities, improved access to financing, stronger Pacific representation, and tangible outcomes for our countries and people.
I acknowledge the longstanding partnership between the Pacific and the European Union. Many national and regional initiatives borne out of this partnership have benefitted our countries immensely. And we can also agree that such partnerships must be agile and adaptable to keep up with the evolving world and environment around us.
Significant progress has been made in the implementation of the 2050 Strategy and on the Review of the Regional Architecture.
Implementation of the Samoa Agreement should complement and advance our regional priorities, and its institutional arrangements should support our existing regional mechanisms.
At a time when the global financing architecture is under pressure, more streamlined and fit-for-purpose structures become more critical.
By strengthening our Pacific coordination, we ensure our regional institutions work together effectively. If we maintain a strong and coherent voice in Brussels and within the OACPS, we ensure that our external partnerships align with and complement our 2050 Strategy and the broader direction of Pacific regionalism.
The challenges before us may be considerable, but so too is the opportunity to build on our collective strength and unity.
Thank you, Honourable Leaders, for your continued support and leadership of our work. I look forward to our deliberations and to the direction that we will collectively provide.
[ENDS]
