FSM Information Services
Press Release
President Panuelo Receives Secretary Wilkie of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
PALIKIR, Pohnpei—Immediately following his Inaugural Address on July 29th 2019, His Excellency David W. Panuelo—President of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)—received the Honorable Robert L. Wilkie, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, in a courtesy call. Mr. Wilkie is the first Cabinet-level representative of the U.S. Government to attend a Joint National Inauguration.
“On behalf of the people and Government of the FSM, again…we welcome you to our country; it’s a historic visit of friends, and it cannot get any better than that,” the President began. “I think my statement in the Inaugural Address speaks volumes to our [FSM-U.S.] relationship.”
“I can’t think of a…more sincere statement than the one you delivered today, and I say that as both a representative of the United States Government and also as an airman,” the Secretary replied. “You talk movingly about the sacrifice of the people [of the FSM].”
President Panuelo and Secretary Wilkie, though briefly discussing many categories within the broader FSM-U.S. relationship, focused their conversation on the importance of treating citizens of the FSM who are veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces with the respect and dignity that they deserve.
“There has been no President in the post-World War 2 era that…has made veterans the centerpiece of his campaign or presidency as [U.S. President Donald J. Trump] has,” the Secretary said. “We will be working on creative ways to meet the needs of [FSM citizens who are veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces].”
President Panuelo reiterated his interest in the COFA Veterans Review Act as a means of providing veterans access to the benefits they’ve earned, and emphasized how humbled and grateful he was for the Secretary’s visit, including the large delegation of U.S. officials who joined him. The delegation included His Excellency Robert A. Riley III, Ambassador of the United States of America; the Honorable Sandra Oudkirk, Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asia & Pacific Affairs in the U.S. Department of State; the Honorable Alexander B. Gray, Director for Oceania & Indo-Pacific Security within the U.S. White House’s National Security Council; the Honorable Nikolao Pula, Director of the Office of Insular Affairs within the U.S. Department of Interior; Rear Admiral Kevin Lunday, Commander of the Fourteenth U.S. Coast Guard District; Rear Admiral Louis Tripoli, Command Surgeon INDOPACOM; Rear Admiral John Menoni, Commander of Joint Region Marianas; Mr. Isaac Edwards, Special Counsel on the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources; and Mr. Brian Modeste, Staff Director on the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources.
“We want to emphasize how important the relationship [between the FSM and the United States] is, Secretary,” President Panuelo said. “It’s an honor to receive you, and [I look forward to receiving] Secretary Pompeo after you.”
The FSM and United States share a persistent, perpetual, and enduring partnership based on shared values and codified through the Compact of Free Association, as Amended. The FSM National Government looks forward to receiving the Honorable Michael Pompeo, Secretary of the U.S. Department of State, on August 5th 2019.