The Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of India have signed the protocols for the establishment of diplomatic relations on November 29, 1996, making it a total of 45 countries with which the FSM has formally established diplomatic relations.
The FSM Government has communicated its acceptance of the appointment of Mr. John Mills as New Zealand Ambassador-designate to the FSM with residence in Tarawa, Kiribati. Accreditation of the Ambassador-designate is slated to be sometime in mid-January.
The FSM Government had granted consent to the appointment of Mr. Vernon Scarborough as Her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador-designate to the FSM, based in Suva. Accreditation of the Ambassador-designate is proposed for January 20, 1997.
The FSM Embassy in Washington D.C. assisted in coordinating the shipment of 25 boxes of library books collected by Mmes. Akaka and Murkowski for the COM-FSM Library. The two accompanied their spouses, Congressmen Daniel Akaka and Frank Murkowski, during their visit to Pohnpei last year, at which time they toured the COM-FSM campus.
The FSM Embassy in Washington D.C. advised COM-FSM that the 104th Congress did not act on the Land Grant Status for the Freely Associated States college campuses, and that the issue will be considered in the 105th U.S. Congress.
The FSM Embassy in Washington D.C. provided various consular services to its citizens in the U.S. mainland who are confronted with a host of problems, inter alia, regarding employment, immigration and education. The Embassy also furnished information on the FSM to interested U.S. companies and private citizens.
A copy of a Memorandum of Understanding by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, for a "Single Audit" covering actual costs incurred for the FY1996 single audit up to a total of $655,000 was submitted to the FSM Public Auditor for review.
A seminar on Development of Unique Bio-Industries in the Pacific Island Countries is to be held in Western Samoa from February 3-4, 1997. The purpose of the seminar, to which the FSM has been invited, is to design a strategic workplan for development of a commercially viable plant exportation industry in the region with assistance from the Government of Japan.
An FSM citizen, Mr. Norbert Illisary, has been selected by the South Pacific Commission to attend the 1997 SPC/Nelson Pacific Islands Fisheries Officers Training Course in New Zealand. The Department is requesting funding assistance from the Government of New Zealand under its bilateral assistance scheme, to defray the tuition costs for Mr. Illisary.
The Department has informed the Government of Japan through its Embassy in Kolonia that the FSM Government is not ready to entertain a Development Study to be conducted by the Government of Japan this year. The Study aims to prepare a comprehensive Master Plan comprising various development plans, a feasibility study to examine the viability and investment effects of priority projects identified in the Master Plan, a detailed design and mapping of project implementation and a demonstration study of specific projects to show their technical feasibility. The FSM Government hopes to undergo one next year.
The Philippines Consul General in Guam, Mr. Antonio P. Villamor, visited Pohnpei from December 6-10, 1996, accompanied by his Vice Consul, Mr. Alfonso Ver. The purpose of the visit was to explore ways of furthering the development of economic and social cooperation between the FSM and the Republic of the Philippines.
