BY GIFF JOHNSON
Marshall Islands Correspondent
MAJURO, Marshall Islands — After stalling for more than two years, negotiations for a new funding agreement and other aspects of the Compact of Free Association between the United States and the Marshall Islands have been put on a fast-track for completion.
U.S. and Marshall Islands negotiators held the first round of Compact talks from June 14 to 16 at the U.S. Army base at Kwajalein Atoll. U.S. Special Envoy Ambassador Joseph Yun and Marshall Islands Foreign Minister Kitlang Kabua said in a joint statement that they are aiming for signing a memorandum of understanding in September, with the further aim of attempting to wrap up the entire negotiation by early next year.
Whether this fast-track plan can succeed isn’t known at this time. But the friendly nature of the discussions was apparent from comments from people on both sides of the table.
Yun
“There is much work to be done, and we are optimistic our talks will be completed in a timely manner with good results for all,” Yun said during the session on Kwajalein. President Joseph R. Biden appointed Yun as special envoy for Compact negotiations in March.
Kabua headed her country’s negotiation team and used the words “kinship” and “cordial” to describe the environment of the negotiations.
The Marshall Islands and the U.S. held the first round of in-person negotiations on the Compact of Free Association at the U.S. Army base at Kwajalein Atoll from June 14 to16. The U.S delegation is at left, with Ambassador Joseph Yun next to the U.S. flag, while the Marshall Islands negotiating team is on the right with Foreign Minister Kitlang Kabua next to the Marshall Islands flag. Photo Courtesy of the Marshall Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
After preliminary discussions in late 2019 in Pohnpei involving President Trump’s Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and President Hilda C. Heine, the negotiations stalled. The following year, COVID hit, both Trump and Heine were voted out of office, and new administrations in Washington and Majuro took over. While there were intermittent virtual conversations between U.S. and Marshall Islands leaders in 2020 and 2021, negotiations were at a standstill. In the meantime, the Biden administration has been under increasing pressure by the U.S. Congress to prioritize talks with the three freely associated states in the face of increasingly successful diplomatic initiatives by China in the Pacific islands region.
Although the Compacts as overall security agreements do not expire, U.S. funding packages included in the Compacts end next year for both the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia. Marshall Islands leaders have said the talks cannot be limited to financial provisions and must address the lingering U.S. nuclear weapons test legacy, issues related to the U.S. government’s missile testing range at Kwajalein, and climate problems. A wide range of Republican and Democratic congressional leaders have called on the Biden administration to address the nuclear legacy to ensure smooth relations with the Marshall Islands.
Parliament Speaker Kenneth Kedi, who is a member of the Marshall Islands negotiating team did not participate in the Kwajalein talks because he was in quarantine following the country’s COVID entry requirements. He said he is optimistic about the negotiations based on several meetings he had with Yun in Washington, D.C. in May. “I agree with the ambassador’s view to conclude the talks sooner rather than later,” Kedi said. “I told the ambassador in Washington that if Washington addresses the key issues, we’ll sign tomorrow.”
Kedi said the political environment in Washington is supportive of addressing Marshall Islands needs as part of maintaining close ties with the nation. “I feel very optimistic about the negotiations,” Kedi said. “If we can’t address all the key pillars (sought by the Marshall Islands) by the deadline later this year, at least strike an MOU to agree to address the issues.”
In a joint statement issued by Kabua and Yun June 16, the affirmed the importance of continuing Compact financial assistance, including federal programs, beyond 2023. In the current fiscal year budget, Compact grants and federal programs for education, health and other activities amount to more than $100 million out of a $242 million budget.
Yun affirmed his willingness to support continuation of U.S. funding to the Marshall Islands, while good faith negotiations are ongoing.
The next round of in-person talks is scheduled to be held in Washington, DC in late July. mbj
Kabua