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The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is one of three sprawling but sparsely populated nations that have U.S. ties governed by so-called Compacts of Free Association (COFAs), under which Washington is responsible for their defense and provides economic assistance, while gaining exclusive military access to strategic swathes of ocean. Yun said he signed the agreement with RMI Foreign Minister Jack Ading in Honolulu, Hawaii, at a ceremony also attended by Marshallese President David Kabua. Analysts and former officials had blamed a delay in finalizing the Marshall Islands COFA on U.S. State Department lawyers wanting to control how new funds were spent and objecting to their being earmarked to address the nuclear legacy, fearing this could lay the U.S. open to more claims. A person familiar with the deal said all current federal programs, including education programs and the U.S. Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Michael Martina; Editing by Sandra Maler and Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Louis Mapou, Hu'akavemeiliku Siaosi, Surangel Whipps, Kausea Natano, Joseph Yun, Biden, Yun, Jack Ading, David Kabua, David Brunnstrom, Michael Martina, Sandra Maler, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: U.S ., Country, New, Tonga's, Tuvalu's, United, Marshall, Reuters, The, Free Association, Washington, Northern, RMI, RMI Foreign, U.S, Congress, . State Department, U.S . Postal Service, U.S . Congress, Thomson Locations: U.S, Federated States, Micronesia's, WASHINGTON, United States, The Republic, China, Northern Pacific, Palau, Micronesia, Washington, Honolulu , Hawaii, Marshall, Kwajalein

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is one of three sprawling but sparsely populated nations that have U.S. ties governed by so-called Compacts of Free Association (COFAs), under which Washington is responsible for their defense and provides economic assistance, while gaining exclusive military access to strategic swathes of ocean. Yun told Reuters he planned to sign the COFA deal with RMI Foreign Minister Jack Adding in Honolulu, Hawaii, at 2 p.m. local time (0000 GMT Tuesday). Analysts and former officials had blamed a delay in finalizing the Marshall Islands COFA on U.S. State Department lawyers wanting to control how new funds were spent and objecting to their being earmarked to address the nuclear legacy, fearing this could lay the U.S. open to more claims. A person familiar with the deal said all current federal programs, including education programs and the U.S. Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Michael Martina; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Louis Mapou, Hu'akavemeiliku Siaosi, Surangel Whipps, Kausea Natano, Joseph Yun, Biden, Yun, Jack, David Kabua, David Brunnstrom, Michael Martina, Sandra Maler Organizations: U.S ., Country, New, Tonga's, Tuvalu's, United, Reuters, The, Marshall, Free Association, Washington, Northern, RMI, RMI Foreign, U.S . Congress, . State Department, U.S, U.S . Postal Service, Thomson Locations: U.S, Federated States, Micronesia's, WASHINGTON, United States, Marshall, Pacific, The Republic, China, Northern Pacific, Palau, Micronesia, Washington, Honolulu , Hawaii, Kwajalein

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Inside, with speeches and machinations and carefully deployed elbows, those who administer the world persist in their search for the elusive path to peace. “Bring lasting peace,” said Pravind Jugnauth, prime minister of Mauritius. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim spoke of “the imperative to make peace." In July, visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the North Lawn, adjacent to the wooded area, to perform yoga poses as part of his visit. But for one tranquil moment, for one brief respite from the world's most high-stakes conversations, that's more than sufficient.

Persons: ”, Said, Pravind Jugnauth, Anwar Ibrahim, Pendarovski, Siaosi Sovaleni, “, Narendra Modi, Ukraine —, It's, Ted Anthony, General Assembly's Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations, Hall, New, Malaysian, Indian, —, Associated Press Locations: Manhattan, New York City, Queens, United, Mauritius, North Macedonia, Tonga, India, Pakistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine, East

☆ No clear winner in US, China contest in the Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The United States and PNG signed a defence cooperation agreement in May. STRATEGIC CHESSBOARDThe events in Vanuatu this week highlighted the challenges Pacific nations face in seeking to benefit from both the United States and its allies, and China. The U.S. Coast Guard has yet to gain clearance to enter Vanuatu's port, as it does in other Pacific Islands, Coast Guard officials said. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manesseh Sogavare is also reluctant to accept U.S. support. The project was the largest infrastructure donation China had made to the Pacific Islands so far, Chinese ambassador Li Ming said at the ceremony.

Persons: Joe Biden, Louis Mapou, Hu'akavemeiliku Siaosi, Surangel Whipps, Kausea Natano, Samantha Power, Power, Washington, Lenora Qereqeretabua, Qereqeretabua, Ratu Jone Logavatu Kalouniwai, Denghua Zhang, Ishmael Kalsakau, Manesseh Sogavare, Sogavare, Li Ming, Kirsty Needham, Miral Organizations: U.S ., Country, New, Tonga's, Tuvalu's, United States, USAID, Pacific, Fiji Military Force, Australian National University, Vanuatu's, U.S . Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Solomon Islands, White, Solomon Islands National University, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Federated States, SYDNEY, China, Taiwan, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, United States, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Pacific, Australia, Vanuatu's, Solomon

☆ Blinken criticises China's 'problematic behaviour' during visit to Tonga
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shakes hands with Tonga's Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, July 26, 2023. UPOU VAIPULU/Pool via REUTERSWELLINGTON, July 26 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of China's "problematic behaviour" during a visit to the Pacific island nation of Tonga on Wednesday, citing Beijing's militarisation of the South China Sea and what he called economic coercion. Blinken said at a press conference that the U.S. had no objection to China's engagement with the region but there were concerns that its investments needed to be transparent and undertaken with sustainable finance. "I think one of the things that we’ve seen is that as China’s engagement in the (Indo-Pacific) region has grown there has been some, from our perspective, increasingly problematic behaviour," he said. Blinken said the United States was committed to both Tonga and the broader Pacific Islands.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi, UPOU, Beijing's militarisation, Solomon, Blinken, Siaosi Sovaleni, Joe Biden, Wang Yi, Lloyd Austin, Emmanuel Macron, Sovaleni, Nuku’alofa, Lucy Craymer, Stephen Coates Organizations: Tonga's, REUTERS, Tongan, U.S . Defense, Embassy, Thomson Locations: Nuku'alofa, Tonga, REUTERS WELLINGTON, Pacific, South, U.S, Australia, New Zealand, United States, Washington, China, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Beijing, Wellington , New Zealand

☆ Australia, Fiji militaries to work alongside each other
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Australia and Fiji have signed an agreement to allow the operation of each nation's militaries in the other country, with ministers describing it as a significant step for security cooperation. South Pacific defence ministers met in Tonga earlier this week, with Australia seeking a closer military relationship with the three island nations that have defence forces - Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tonga - to counter China's security push in the region. Marles said the Status of Forces agreement signed with Fiji on Thursday, giving a legal framework for the presence of one country's forces in another, was rare for Australia and would allow a closer working relationship between the defence forces. Fiji's defence minister Inia Seruiratu said the defence forces trained and deployed together across the region, and the agreement brought "a new height of security cooperation". Australia is also negotiating a defence treaty with Papua New Guinea.

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