The US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Daniel Russel, will travel to Apia, Samoa; Nuku'alofa, Tonga; and Koror, Palau, February 20-25, for bilateral meetings and regional consultations.
Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet Admiral Scott Swift will accompany Assistant Secretary Russel will travel to Apia, Samoa; Nuku'alofa, Tonga; and Koror, Palau, February 20-25, for bilateral meetings and regional consultations.
In a statement on February 18, the US Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs said the high-level trip “demonstrates the United States’ enduring commitment to the Pacific Islands region and the whole-of-government approach to enhancing our bilateral political, economic, and security relations in the Pacific.”
In Tonga, Assistant Secretary Russel will meet with Tongan government officials in Nuku'alofa and visit a USAID coastal community adaptation project site in Popua.
“The trip also underscores continued U.S. support to the issues that are of utmost importance to the Pacific Islands, including climate change, the ocean, maritime security, women’s empowerment, sustainable development, and health,” they stated.
In Apia, Samoa, Assistant Secretary Russel will meet with Samoan government officials and visit U.S. Government-supported projects that bolster security, women’s empowerment, and environmental protection.
In Koror, Palau, Assistant Secretary Russel will meet with the president of Palau and senior officials, make a televised address to a joint session of the Palauan legislature, and have bilateral meetings with the presidents of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia who will be in Palau for the Micronesian Chief Executives’ Summit.