 U.S. Assistant Secretary Campbell and Admiral Haney visit the FSMPalikir, Pohnpei (Dept. of Foreign Affairs): August 5, 2012 - On August 03-04, Assistant Secretary Kurt M. Campbell and Admiral Cecil D. Haney and their delegation embarked on a two-day tour in Pohnpei, FSM. The visit was Assistant Secretary Campbell's second and Admiral Haney's first visit to the FSM. Accompanying Secretary Campbell and Admiral Haney was Ms. Gloria Steele, the new USAID Director based out of Papua New Guinea. During their two-day visit, they paid courtesy calls on President Mori, Speaker Figir and various members of the civil society. The purpose of the visit was to reinforce United States' commitment to the region. During the call on President Mori on August 3rd, Assistant Secretary Campbell expressed his gratitude for the Leadership meeting held in Hawaii which FSM participated in and affirmed US's commitment to the Pacific region. He indicated that the next Pacific Island Forum (PIF) meeting in the Cook Islands would be attended by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and spoke of FSM's critical need to be effective in the implementation of the Compact Funding, especially in health and education sectors. President Mori responded by indicating that he had mobilized a working group to explore options on economic sustainability in the FSM in anticipation of post 2023 - the year that some financial assistance under the Compact may no longer be available. He commented on some of the improvements in the individual state's current tax reforms which he said could serve as effective model for the priority areas of health and education sectors. The President also pointed out that private schools in the country tended to do better than public schools, noting however that some public schools have vastly improved. On August 4th, Assistant Secretary Campbell and Admiral Haney and their delegation had a round-table discussion with various local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) at the Village Hotel in Awak. Later the same day, they paid a joint courtesy call on Mr. Patrick Mackenzie, Executive Director of NORMA and Mr. Glenn Hurry, Executive Director of WPCFC where a power-point presentation was delivered by Director Hurry on fisheries in the Pacific specifically in the combined jurisdictions of the member countries of the Party to the Nauru Agreement (PNA). The two-day visit ended with a brief stop at the monument of the FSM fallen soldiers at the Pohnpei International Airport where Assistant Secretary Campbell and Admiral Haney laid wreaths in honor of those who lost their lives in defending freedom and democracy. The next stop for the visiting dignitaries was in the Republic of Palau. |