Government of the Federated States of Micronesia

President Nena Attends Leaders Summit in Tokyo

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Information Service): November 6,
1997 – President Jacob Nena attended in Tokyo a South Pacific
Forum (SPF) and Japan Leaders Economic Summit Meeting held from 13-14
October, 1997. This was the first time that such a summit meeting was
held, upon the initiative of the Japanese Government, to enable
leaders of the SPF member countries and Japan to exchange ideas on
how Japan may effectively assist the Forum island countries in their
economic and development endeavors and goals of attaining
self-sustaining economies, according to an October 16, 1997, release
from the FSM Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.

Japan is a dialogue member of the South Pacific Forum. Its
leadership in convoking the leaders summit reflects its increasing
role and importance in the Forum region. For most of the Pacific
island states, Japan is either the largest or the second largest
donor country. Excepting the US, with which the FSM has a Compact
treaty, Japan is the FM’s largest source of external assistance.

The President’s delegation to the summit was comprised of
Secretary of External Affairs Epel K. Ilon, Secretary of Resource and
Development Sebastian Anefal, as well as Governor Vincent Figir of
Yap, who was accompanied by Mr. Jesse Raglmar-SUBOLMAR as senior
advisor. Also joining the delegation were the Charge d’Affaires ad
interim of the FSM Embassy in Tokyo, James Naich, and First Secretary
John S. Fritz.

At the summit meeting, which was chaired by the State Secretary
for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Nena reported on the economic reforms
undertaken by the FSM Government, stating that “[…] the collective
political leadership of our country, including […] our private sector
and traditional leadership community, accepted the truth of the
condition of our economy and the need for reform.” Seeking “Japan’s
continuing cooperation in the development of the Pacific islands
toward greater self-reliance in the future,” President Nena concluded
his statement by noting that “[…] it is in the spirit of regional
cooperation that we come to this summit – to cooperate with our
friends, neighbors, and partners in development in addressing the
challenges that are common to us in the Forum island countries.”

The FSM delegation also presented a statement on FSM’s fisheries
conservation and management policy. In that statement the President
pointed out that the basic philosophy of the FSM policy on
development and management of its marine resources was set forth in
the preamble of Title 24 of the FSM Code. The preamble states in
part: “The resources of the sea around the FSM are a finite but
renewable part of the physical heritage of our people. …The
resources must be managed, conserved, and developed for the benefit
of the people living today and for generations of our citizens to
come. For this reason the harvesting of this resource… must be
monitored, and when necessary controlled. The purpose… is to
promote conservation, management, and development of the marine
resources… generate the maximum benefit for the nation from foreign
fishing, and to promote the development of a domestic fishing
industry.”

Aside from the program of the summit meeting, the President
accompanied by First Lady Lerina Nena, participated in the
christening ceremonies of the FSS Caroline Voyager. The FSS Caroline
Voyager is funded by the Government of Japan under its aid assistance
to the FSM Government. The President assured the Government of Japan
and all others participating in the construction of the vessel that
the Caroline Japan Voyager “[…] will play an important role in our
overall economic development.”

As part of the summit meeting, the delegates from the Forum
countries also toured the Pacific Island Center, an office that was
established a year ago. The PIC is co-financed by the Forum
Secretariat and the Japanese Government with the objective of
promoting trade from the Forum island countries to Japan and
expansion of Japanese tourism and investment in Forum island member
countries.

While in Tokyo, the President and his colleagues from the Forum
countries were invited to an afternoon tea with His Majesty the
Emperor of Japan. President Nena and members of his delegation were
also taken on a tour of the fish auction, held at the crack of dawn,
at the Tsukuji Market, the largest fish market in the world. Fish
caught in the FSM are also sold at the internationally renown fish
market, the release concluded.