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President Mori's Christmas Message

Palikir, December 24, 2010

Vice President Alik and our families join me in extending to you all Holiday Greetings and Best Wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We pray the coming year will bring peace, good health, and greater prosperity for all.

This holiday season, let us be mindful of the well-being of our nation. In the New Year, I would ask that each of us rededicate ourselves to strengthening the ties that bind our islands together and make our nation strong. With the effects of climate change already upon us and being experienced daily in our islands, we must unite and adapt to these changes, an undertaking that requires the strength of our entire nation to succeed.

The New Year will bring opportunities to our islands in the form of new jobs resulting from the military build-up on Guam, the connection of Pohnpei State to the fiber optic cable, the acceleration of implementation of infrastructure development projects throughout the nation, the completion of the Pohnpei Airport runway extension, the successful captive insurance scheme, and a new fishing venture that will generate new revenues. So there is much to look forward to in the coming days.

I would like to extend personal gratitude to all our leaders throughout the FSM for their support and continuing effort in the development of our nation. In particular I wish to recognize the important role our traditional leaders play in protecting and preserving our traditions and customs which provide our unique Micronesian identity.

Most importantly, I would like to thank the Almighty for his blessings and guidance. We will always seek his help in everything we do for our people. We therefore look to our religious leaders for their wise counsel and spiritual encouragement.

And finally, my fellow citizens, I want to express my personal gratitude to each and every one of you for your individual effort to make our Nation a great place to live. Your individual effort does not go unnoticed and definitely makes a difference in the improvement of our islands.

From all of us here in Palikir, we wish you the best for Christmas and hope that you have a peaceful and prosperous New Year.