U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said she had productive discussions about partnership between the US and Samoa with Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa.
At a press conference in Apia this morning, Sherman said, “We discussed the partnership between Samoa and the US Coast Guard to conduct security patrols of Samoa’s EEZ (Economic Exclusive Zone) as part of our collective effort to combat Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing which damages the ocean environment and undermines Samoa’s economy.”
There were also discussions on the return of US Peace Corps volunteers to Samoa,
The Peace Corps office remained open, however, there were no volunteers on the ground due to the Covid-19 pandemic and closure of borders.
Deputy Secretary of State Sherman said over 2000 Peace Corps volunteers have served in Samoa in the last 55-years.
Prime Minister Fiame said Samoa is pleased to see the shift in US policy on climate change referring to the US rejoining the Paris Agreement on climate change.
“The US is a significant partner and we are very pleased to see their return to the climate discourse.”
In February, 2021, US officially rejoined the Paris Agreement on climate change designed to limit global warming and avoid its potentially catastrophic impacts.
The accord commits over 200 nations to limit their greenhouse gas emissions in an attempt to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius - preferably below 1.5 degrees Celsius - compared to pre-industrial temperatures.
Sherman’s trip to Samoa is significant as she is the first senior official of the US administration to visit the country since international borders opened on Monday.
Photo screenshot Radio Samoa Caption: Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa (left) with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman at a press conference in Apia