[1/2] Marshall Islands' President David Kabua arrives to address the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 20, 2023.
REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz Acquire Licensing RightsUNITED NATIONS, Sept 20 (Reuters) - The president of the Marshall Islands said on Wednesday his Pacific island nation was "cautiously optimistic" it could soon finalize a deal on future ties with the United States, but repeated a call for Washington to address the legacy of massive nuclear testing in the 1940s and 50s.
The Marshall Islands is one of three sparsely populated Pacific island nations covered by so-called Compacts of Free Association (COFAs) with the United States.
The foreign minister of the Marshall Islands called in July for more U.S. money to deal with the nuclear legacy to enable the renewal of its COFA, the economic terms of which expire on Sept. 30.
Chief U.S. negotiator Joseph Yun has proposed Congress approve the total amount by Sept. 30, even without a final agreement with the Marshall Islands.
Persons:
David Kabua, Eduardo Munoz, MOUs, Joseph Yun, East Asia Daniel Kritenbrink, Joe Biden, David Brunnstrom, Lincoln
Organizations:
General Assembly, REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, Marshall, Free Association, Pacific, United Nations General Assembly, Chief, East Asia, Marshall Islanders, U.S, White, Thomson
Locations:
Marshall, New York City, U.S, United States, Washington, Micronesia, Palau, China, Pacific, New York, Bikini