Washington, DC - Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson: "On behalf of the United States, please accept our best wishes as the people of Palau celebrate their 23rd Independence Day on October 1st.

"Palau is an extraordinary friend of the United States. We continue to work together to promote peace and prosperity around the world as well as at the United Nations. Our relationship goes beyond that of our two governments – Americans and Palauans share warm cultural ties and democratic traditions. From Palauans contributing to our mutual security serving in the U.S. military, to Palauans actively engaged in their local communities across the United States, we are bound together by our shared values. We are deeply grateful to those Palauanas who have given their lives in combat to protect our shared way of life. We look forward to working with Palau to create a better future for our two peoples.

"We offer our congratulations to Palauans everywhere on this special occasion."