Washington, DC, May 21, 2019 – His Excellency David W. Panuelo, President of the Federated States of Micronesia, and his fellow Micronesian Leaders met with Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan at the Pentagon today.
This was the first time that all three leaders of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, were hosted together at the Pentagon, demonstrating the special partnership between the United States and the Compact of Free Association (COFA) countries.
Among the highlights of the discussions were the rapidly changing political and security dynamics in the Pacific, and the on-going cooperative efforts to increase U.S. focus and presence in the region. According to the Acting Secretary, the Pacific region is a top priority of U.S. National Defense policy, and the U.S. is actively rededicating significant defense resources to the region. These resources include funding, military force presence, and defense projects and programs.
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