FSM Information Services
Press Release
Prior to the 2019 Annual Maritime Security Cooperation Talks between the FSM and Australia, President Panuelo Receives Commodore Stephen Woodall
PALIKIR, Pohnpei—On September 12th, 2019 His Excellency David W. Panuelo, President of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), received Commodore Stephen Woodall, Australia’s Defense Pacific Envoy, in a courtesy call prior to the 2019 Maritime Security Cooperation (MSC) talks between the FSM and Australia.
“We continue to enjoy very good relations with Australia in many aspects of cooperation,” President Panuelo began, noting that in addition to receiving diplomatic training in Australia that one of his first trips as a Foreign Service Officer was to join former and 2nd President of the FSM, His Excellency John R. Haglelgam, to Perth (in Western Australia) to test the Pacific-class patrol boats currently in use in the FSM. “We thank you for the two Guardian-class patrol boats we’ll receive, the first in early-2022 and the second in mid-2022, and the…air surveillance component [in partnership with the Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency].”
The President advocated for improving boat registration and safety compliance, in part because the cost of surveillance and search and rescue operations are measurably expensive, and in part because the lack of said programs are incalculably expensive when citizens are lost and not found, or found when it’s too late.
President Panuelo also requested for additional review on intelligence-sharing.
“We know that Australia has very high standards with vessel inspections and locations…if the [MSC] talks can review our protocol and intelligence on knowing what boats are coming into our country, and review the background of the boats before we actually give permits of entry…this cooperation on intelligence is an important one,” the President said, while also re-advocating for the FSM to host the upcoming Pacific Fusion Center, in part to enhance the reimplementation and strengthening of the Micronesian Transnational Crimes Unit (MTCU).
“Clearly [Lieutenant Commander Lauren Milburn, Australian Maritime Surveillance Adviser] has passed my notes to you, because those are most of the things that I’m kinda banging the drum on!” said Commodore Woodall. “Firstly, can I thank you for allowing us to have a…technical adviser in your country, living and working with your people. It’s a great privilege and not one we take lightly.”
“We thank you for your continued support,” Commodore Woodall continued, describing how the Pacific Patrol Boat program has served the FSM for 30 years, and how Australia is “actively looking at opportunities” to expand the usage of the patrol boats for a broader range of security activities, including cooperation with aerial surveillance programming, and the MTCU, among others. “There’s a lot of areas where we can [improve services],” Commodore Woodall said, providing examples such as knowing when a yacht officially arrives in the FSM’s exclusive economic zone, and whether it transmits that its next port is in another country or somewhere within the FSM.
President Panuelo, for his part, continued to advocate for his request to keep one of the three current patrol boats after Australia asks for them back for decommissioning. Commodore Woodall and the Australian delegation attending with him advised that the primary rationale to return the vessels is that, as they age, maintenance costs escalate (e.g. new parts have to be purpose-built, as they’re no longer produced en masse).
While the Australian delegation maintained that the President should keep asking to keep one of the Pacific-class patrol boats, they also suggested that President Panuelo might find it more fruitful to request a third Guardian-class patrol boat (two are planned to replace the three Pacific-class patrol boats currently in use, the first to arrive in early-2022 and the second in mid-2022).
“Thank you so much; I know this is going to be a productive meeting, and wish you a good meeting tomorrow,” President Panuelo said. “Thank you for visiting our country, you know you’re welcome to come back, Commodore, and all of you. It’s been great working with Australia in the area of maritime surveillance.”
“We look forward to continuing that relationship in the future,” Commodore Woodall replied.
The meeting concluded with the Australian delegation presenting the FSM National Government a scale model of the Guardian-class patrol boat, which presently serves as a symbol of what’s to come and in decades will serve as a memento of the Nation’s ongoing friendship, and partnership, with Australia.
