SAIPAN, 06 NOVEMBER 2017 (MARIANAS VARIETY)— CNMI Governor Ralph Torres met with President Donald Trump in Honolulu, Hawaii, and was assured by the nation’s chief executive of his administration’s assistance.

Torres was among the Pacific governors and U.S. Pacific Command officials who attended a reception for the president who stopped by in Hawaii before proceeding to Japan.

According to Press Secretary Kevin Bautista, Trump told Torres: “Tell your people. I will take care of the people of the CNMI,” in reference to the islands’ workforce issues.

In a statement, the governor said: “For the last couple of years, I have been meeting and working with key federal officials on the CW issue. This is my second face-to-face meeting with the president of the United States, and he has pledged his support to assist us in maintaining the vitality of our economy.”

Torres and his chief of staff, Matthew O. Deleon Guerrero, also met with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly regarding the CNMI’s economic needs.

“After meeting the president, we met at length with his chief of taff, John Kelly, who was directed by the president to work on the CW issue with us,” Torres said in a statement. “The conversation was positive, as we were able to advocate for our message of economic growth on behalf of our people back home. They were very receptive to our concerns, and I thanked them for listening. I will be providing more updates as we move forward.”

Torres was invited by the president to attend the reception in Hawaii on Friday.

In an interview before he left Saipan, the governor said he would discuss CNMI workforce issues with the president.

“It is an honor to be invited by the president to meet with him once again to discuss important issues facing the CNMI,” Torres said. “I met with the president in the Oval Office at the White House in April. The president has shown a great deal of understanding of our issues and how they affect the unique circumstances of our community. I thank him for giving us the opportunity to share our concerns. We have a lot ahead of us and that includes challenges. But I remain positive that if we continue to work together, we will find that it is easier to believe that our islands’ best days are definitely ahead.”

From Hawaii, the governor will proceed to Japan to meet with Delta Air Lines officials regarding the airline’s Saipan flight service…..PACNEWS