Palau has become the first country in the Pacific to sign a permanent ship rider agreement with the United States.
The bilateral agreement authorises Palau's law enforcement officers to board US Coast Guard ships during operations against maritime transnational crime and illegal fishing.
The U.S. Coast Guard Captain, William Marhoffer, told the Palau Horizon that this will expand Palau's capability to monitor and enforce its laws against illegal activities within its 200-mile exclusive economic zone.
The U.S. may also sign similar agreements with other Pacific countries, including the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Kiribati and Cook Islands.
