The head of the Republic of Palau is visiting Junction City.

On the reason for his  visit President Tommy Remengesau noted that many people from Palau, which is an island country in the western Pacific Ocean, serve in the U.S. military. He said a sizeable number of them are stationed at Fort Riley. He also has a nephew, who is a former military member, that resides in Junction City with his family.

Remengesau plans to conduct a meet-and-greet with residents of his country from this area including Kansas City and neighboring areas of the United States on Friday evening at 6 p.m. at the Geary County 4-H / Senior Center. They will have an opportunity to address their issues. He is also seeking re-election this fall. “There will be a meet-and-greet and an opportunity for them to ask questions.”

Preceding that, the President noted that there will be a Palaun feast featuring such ocean foods as sashimi ( raw fish ), fried fish,  and fish burgers.

Remengesau confirmed he hopes to do some touring of Fort Riley during his visit. As far as his first impression of Junction City is concerned, “It’s very green, it’s very environmentally clean, people here are  friendly.”

Palau has served as president in this term since 2013. Prior to that he served in that role for eightyears, before stepping down for a period of time due to constitutional limitations. He was then re-elected in 2013 and is now seeking re-election to another four-year term.

Remengesau said the population of Palau totals about 20,000 people, which support a population of approximately 117,000 tourists from other countries each year. “People come because of the pristine waters that we have, so scuba diving is really a main attraction there.” Palau includes about 300 islands, and has an exclusive economic zone area of ocean that covers approximately 600,000 square kilometers.

Remengesau arrived in Junction City with a Secret Service and Kansas Highway Patrol escort. He was greeted by Junction City officials including Mayor Mick McCallister, Junction City Commissioner Phyllis Fitzgerald, City Manager Allen Dinkel, and Interim Police Chief Dan Breci, as well as family members. He was in the United States at an event in New York City, and his stopover in Junction City comes on his way home to Palau.