On December 22, 2025, the signing of MOU between the Government of Palau and OISCA International was held at the Embassy of Palau Republic in Japan. Mr. Steven Victor, Palau’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment, and Ms. Nakano Etsuko, President of OISCA, signed the MOU.
Based on a strong request from the Palauan Government, the MOU focuses on practical measures such as accepting Palauan youth as trainees at OISCA training centers in Japan and other countries, as well as providing agricultural technical cooperation through the dispatch of Japanese experts to Palau. The Palauan Government has also demonstrated its commitment by covering the round-trip travel expenses for the trainees.
Minister Victor also expressed his intention to “move away from a system that relies entirely on imports for agricultural products and aim for environmentally friendly and sustainable production”. It was clear that he hoped to achieve a cooperative policy by proposing measures that would align with OISCA’s objectives.
Mr. Peter Adelbai, Ambassador of Palau to Japan, who attended the signing ceremony, proposed the reuse of the training facilities that OISCA had previously operated in the country and the strengthening of OISCA’s local organization; Mr. Nagaishi Yasuaki, Vice President of OISCA International, who was also present, expressed his support for these proposals.
Furthermore, OISCA representatives attended the 4th Task Force Meeting on Agricultural Cooperation between the Japanese and Palauan Governments, held in Palau this past February. Based on this MOU, the meeting explored the possibility of dispatching Japanese experts to conduct a feasibility study on vanilla cultivation and discussed procedures for accepting trainees from Palau starting next year.
