FSM Information Services
Press Release
Her Excellency Carmen G. Cantor, Ambassador of the United States of America, Presents her Credentials to His Excellency David W. Panuelo, President of the Federated States of Micronesia
PALIKIR, Pohnpei— On January 31st 2020 His Excellency David W. Panuelo, President of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) received Her Excellency Carmen G. Cantor, Ambassador of the United States of America (USA), who presented her credentials. After the Presentation of Credentials, the President and Ambassador met to discuss the Enduring Partnership between the FSM and the U.S.
“Ambassador, welcome to our country,” President Panuelo began. “I read your biodata, and I don’t know where to begin—you have such a wealth of experience!”
A career official in the U.S. Department of State, with previous posts as the Director of Civil Service Human Resource Management, Executive Director of the Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs, and the Executive Director for the Bureau of Counterterrorism, Ambassador Cantor brings to the FSM a wealth of expertise and insight. Born in Puerto Rico, a U.S. Territory and tropical island in the Caribbean, Ambassador Cantor has both a professional and personal understanding of the Nation’s interest in protecting and promoting the FSM’s natural environment.
“We are really delighted…to officially welcome you into the country,” the President continued. “We look forward to continuing…more substantive engagement with the U.S. [particularly in the renewal of the expiring provisions of the Compact of Free Association, as Amended]. …I think the timing is really right for you to come, and we look to your island charm and spirit to help us chart our relationship going forward. …As I’ve told [His Excellency Robert A. Riley III, former Ambassador of the United States of America], you are a close ally [and we value our] partnership and friendship. My door is open to you at any time.”
“Thank you so much,” said Ambassador Cantor. “I am very excited to be here…I was telling [the Honorable Ricky F. Cantero, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs] that when the plane landed, I said ‘this is like Puerto Rico!’ It reminded me [of Puerto Rico] so much…the vegetation…the birds…it made me very happy. More than that, I am happy to be working with you over the next few years, and I look forward to [continuing and elevating the Enduring Partnership between the FSM and the United States].”
After the courtesy call proper, President Panuelo took Ambassador Cantor on a tour of his office. During the tour, President Panuelo said to Ambassador Cantor “I am very patriotic about our relationship. I keep saying to [the Honorable Michael ‘Mike’ Pompeo, Secretary of the Department of State; the Honorable Mark T. Esper, Secretary of the Department of Defense; the Honorable Robert L. Wilkie, Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and the Honorable Robert C. O’Brien, National Security Advisor to U.S. President Donald J. Trump, et al.]…that I want our relationship between the FSM and the U.S. to be the prominent one. So, during these negotiations, I hope that we can do it in the spirit of recognizing the maturity of our relationship, that we’re a country that aspires to be accountable, transparent, and follows the rule of law. These are things that I’ve announced in my Inaugural address and I meant it [then], [and I continue to] mean it now, and we’ve started a lot of [work] to make sure that that’s the case.”
The FSM National Government welcomes Ambassador Cantor to the Nation’s shores, and extends to Ambassador Cantor peace, friendship, cooperation, and love in our common humanity.
