Laundry list of topics discussed by Palau and US

Representatives of Palau and the U.S. met in Hawaii, for the biannual Compact meeting from March 20 to March 21.

(From left) Rear Adm. Gregory C. Huffman, U.S. senior Indo-Pacific military official and commander, Joint Region Marianas; Brig. Gen. Neil R. Richardson, deputy director for strategic planning and policy, Indo-Pacific Command; President Surangel S. Whipps Jr. and Ambassador of Palau to the U.S. Hersey Kyota. Photo courtesy of the Office of the President of Palau

Topics included defense and training of U.S. forces.

Several officials attended the meeting, according to a March 25 release, including President Surangel S. Whipps Jr., Rear Adm. Gregory C. Huffman, ambassadors to both countries, and various leaders from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

U.S. officials included representatives from the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, the U.S. Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Army Pacific, the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.

The next meeting is due to be in Palau this year. mbj

Plans for US deep sea mining include the waters of the Northern Mariana Islands; Request for Information and Interest issued

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced in a Nov. 10 release in Washington, D.C. “key developments in its offshore critical minerals planning, with the completion of Area Identification offshore American Samoa and the release of a Request for Information and Interest for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.”

Laundry list of topics discussed by Palau and US