Government of the Federated States of Micronesia

FSM Officials Visit Washington
Compact of Free Association Passes the U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C. (FSM Embassy to the US): November 7, 2000 - Speaker of the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Peter M. Christian visited the FSM Embassy in Washington, D.C. last week to push for quick passage of the Compact Legislation in the Senate and to have further discussions with US officials and FSM staff on FSM and US bilateral relations under the Compact of Free Association. Accompanying the Speaker were the Lt. Governor of Kosrae and JCN Chairman, Gerson Jackson, Mr. John Ehsa and Mr. Bill Nall.

Speaker Christian, Chairman Jackson and Mr. Ehsa met with U.S. Senator John McCain, Mr. David Cohen, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior, Mr. Al Short, Office of Compact Negotiations, State Department, and others.

The U.S. Senate passed Senate Joint Resolution 63 on the Compact of Free Association on Friday, Novemer 7, 2003. If the House (passed earlier) and Senate versions of the bill are compatible, then the Compact Legislation will be forwarded to the US Administration for signature. The US Compact legislation will be reviewed by the FSM Congress and the four State Legislatures of Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae and Yap for final approval.

The full text of HJRes.63 as passed by the US Senate may be found in the Congressional Record at www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/digest.pdf, Daily Digest, Nov. 6, 2003.

For more information contact the FSM Embassy in Washington, DC (202) 223-4383, www.fsmembassy.org