After years of negotiations, the third iteration of the Compacts of Free Association (COFA) between the United States and the countries of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), are nearing completion. “Compact III” was signed into law in the United States on March 9, shortly after … Read more
Washington’s rancorous and “chaotic” politics of the past week have reverberated far and wide. Bipartisan legislation addressing the pressing domestic issue of the southern border crisis, bundled together with foreign policy flashpoints of funding for Ukraine and Israel, was torpedoed by Republicans who had previously been clamoring for a border resolution. Also bundled in the … Read more
Months ago, negotiations concluded between the United States and the three U.S. Freely Associated States (FAS) – Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia (FMS) and the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) – on the terms of the renewals of key components of the Compacts of Free Association (COFA). Those components cover primarily financial and service … Read more
Advertisement As with the inaugural summit last year, the second U.S.-Pacific Islands summit in Washington, D.C., featured a raft of initiatives with attached dollar signs and U.S. government involvement from President Joe Biden down. The message of this summit, in line with Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s message to the Pacific Islands Forum leaders in … Read more
Advertisement The United States has signed a new agreement with Palau, which gives American ships the authorization to unilaterally enforce maritime regulations in the tiny Pacific island nation’s exclusive economic zone, the U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday. The agreement comes as both the U.S. and China are seeking to expand their influence in the Pacific, … Read more