In the next few months, Washington faces a test of its commitments in the Pacific: ratification of updated Compacts of Free Association with Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. This will be no easy task since the Biden administration is asking the Congress to…
n the next few months, Washington faces a test of its commitments in the Pacific: ratification of updated Compacts of Free Association with Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. This will be no easy task since the Biden administration is asking the Congress to quickly pass over $7 billion in support for these three countries shortly after imposing new spending caps.
In the last decade, the United States has enthusiastically adopted the concept of the Indo-Pacific. Many have interpreted this primarily as an effort to better incorporate India into the Asian region. The elevation of the Pacific Islands has heretofore attracted less attention, but it is no less important. Pacific Island countries are partners on a range of issues from the environment to public health to security.
The original Compacts were finalized in 1982 and then renegotiated in 2003. The current agreements with the Marshall Islands and Micronesia expire this year, while Palau is due to lapse next year. In March, the Biden administration announced that it wouldProgress in bilateral negotiations between the United States and Palau, the Marshall Islands, and Micronesia has been encouraging, but a great deal of work remains to be done with the Congress.
Since that letter, the administration has made significant progress. However, the lack of specifics continues to frustrate Congress. House Foreign Affairs Indo-Pacific Subcommittee Chairwoman Young Kim recently held a hearing on the subject and, “I’m concerned that we have not received much information on the status of the negotiations, and going forward, I ask that the State Department regularly update our committee on your progress.
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