Senators Coons and Ricketts, colleagues write bipartisan letter supporting U.S. efforts to enhance diplomatic engagement with Pacific Islands countries

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken ahead of this week's Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting where they expressed their support for broader and deeper U.S. engagement with countries of the Pacific Islands region.

The 53rd PIF Leaders Meeting taking place this week in Tonga will be attended by 18 member states; the United States is not a member of the PIF, but will send a delegation as a dialogue partner of the Forum. In their letter, the senators urged Secretary Blinken to highlight U.S. accomplishments and efforts to collaborate with countries of the Pacific Islands region in ways that will reinforce and expand our nations' relations in the years to come, despite heightened international competition and growing economic and environmental challenges.

"From publishing the Pacific Partnership Strategy to hosting the first-ever U.S.-Pacific Island Country Summit, the United States has elevated our engagement with the Pacific Islands region to a foremost U.S. foreign policy priority," wrote the senators. "As a dialogue partner of the PIF, it is critical that the United States continues to demonstrate this commitment to the region as a strong ally … [and] push forward tangible implementation of deliverables outlined in the Pacific Partnership Strategy, previous U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum summits, and elsewhere."

Senator Coons and others particularly asked the U.S. delegation to provide clear updates at the Forum on several commitments the United States has discussed with PIF members, including:

• Openings of U.S. embassies in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Tonga;

• Increasing cabinet and sub-cabinet level visits to the region;
• Implementation of the Compacts of Free Association;
• Status of the USAID mission in Fiji and its operations;
• Implementation of the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability in Papua New Guinea and coordination on the Defense Cooperation Agreement;
• Implementation of the Partners in the Blue Pacific Fisheries and Ocean Science Vessel Initiative;
• Provision of programming and support for healthcare systems and healthcare infrastructure of Pacific Islands countries;
• Return of the Peace Corps to a number of countries in the region.

You can read the full letter here.