Australia will host a meeting with Freely Associated States (FAS) nations to jointly discuss issues of importance and of common interest.
Australia’s Ambassador to Palau, George Fraser said that the meeting is scheduled from March 15 to 17 where senior officials from Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands are invited to Federated States of Micronesia to meet with their counterparts from Australia and FSM to “talk about regional issues.”
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Fraser said this is the first time that such a meeting is going to be held among senior officials of Australia and the North Pacific countries.
“This is the first time that this has been done,” Fraser said.
He said that the meeting would also discuss “ regional things that we should be thinking about for the next coupe of years.”
The ambassador said FSM, Australia, Palau and RMI officials will be in the the same room together to set regional issues agenda for the next couple of years.
According to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website, the Australian Government will provide an estimated $9.8 million in total Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the North Pacific which comprises of Palau, FSM and RMI in 2016-17. This will include an estimated $5 million in bilateral funding to the North Pacific. [/restrict]