TAIPEI (CNA) -- Chile's Easter Island and Lanyu Township in Taitung County forged sisterhood relations Friday through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Lanyu Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Saturday.



Easter Island Mayor Pedro Pablo Edmunds Paoa signed the MOU with Lanyu Township Mayor Chiaman Chialamu to cement bilateral cooperation in the development and academic studies of the Rapa Nui and Yami peoples, the indigenous Austronesian peoples living on the two islands.



It is the first time that Taiwan's indigenous peoples have signed an MOU with indigenous peoples in a foreign country, according to a statement from the MOFA.



In addition to the signing of the MOU, Pedro Pablo Edmunds Paoa, the tribal leader of the Rapa Nui people, was invited to attend the 2018 Austronesian Forum in Taipei Aug. 2, the MOFA statement said.



The mayor of Easter Island was also scheduled to meet MOFA officials and leaders from Taiwan's Institute for Information Industry and the Travel Agent Association during his stay in Taiwan from July 30-Aug. 5.





Orchid Island (Image from Taiwan Tourism Bureau)