Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) President Peter M. Christian attended his first Micronesia President’s Summit in Majuro on July 14-15.
The annual summit of the presidents of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands allow them to exchange views and information on national, regional and international issues of interest.
It is also an excellent opportunity for the three presidents to have frank exchanges on how they can better address common concerns and collectively explore solutions.
Given the multitude of challenges the three countries have continued to face individually or collectively, and considering the increasing complexities of world politics, it is in their collective interest to have an inclusive discussion on concrete issues affecting the region and to maximize and explore ways of pooling efforts, knowledge and resources for our benefits.
While this was President Christian’s first summit, he is very familiar with the process. He was one of those who initiated and proposed the concept of the first summit 15 years ago.
During the summit , President Christian reiterated the FSM’s appreciation to Palau and the Marshalls for their continued support and co-sponsorship of the proposed amendment to the Montreal Protocol introduced by the FSM. He further encouraged the Marshalls and Palau to raise the issue at the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum, the United Nations General Assembly and other regional and international fora.
Among other issues discussed in the summit is the submarine fiber optic cable about which the presidents reaffirmed their commitment to advance and promote such projects. The presidents also reaffirmed their commitments on several issues, including air service, climate change, sustainable sea transportation, and maritime boundaries.
Regarding Palau’s Sanctuary Initiative, the presidents of the FSM and the Marshalls encouraged Palau to continue to provide members of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement or PNA with the specific operational and transitional specifics to enhance members understanding. The presidents urged both the PNA and Palau to work together to ensure that the result is worked out to the satisfaction of all parties.
President Christian was accompanied to the summit by Secretary Lorin S. Robert of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Secretary Joses Gallen of Department of Justice, acting Secretary Mark Deorio of the Department of Transportation, Communications and Infrastructure, and other officials and staff from the FSM national government.
The next summit will be held in Palau.