hrough Donations of Ventilators & Medical Supplies from the State of Israel & the United States of America, Governor Oliver, Secretary Taulung, & Ambassador Cantor Strengthen the FSM COVID-19 Response Framework & the FSM-U.S. Enduring Partnership

Parent Category: PIO Articles News and Updates

FSM Information Services

Press Release

 

Through Donations of Ventilators & Medical Supplies from the State of Israel & the United States of America, Governor Oliver, Secretary Taulung, & Ambassador Cantor Strengthen the FSM COVID-19 Response Framework & the FSM-U.S. Enduring Partnership

 

PALIKIR, Pohnpei—On May 7th, 2020, Her Excellency Carmen G. Cantor, Ambassador of the United States of America, was received by the Honorable Reed B. Oliver—Governor of the State of Pohnpei, and Honorary Consul of the State of Israel to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)—and the Honorable Livingston A. Taulung, Secretary of the FSM Department of Health & Social Affairs, in a handover ceremony celebrating the arrival of much needed and deeply appreciated medical supplies, including thirty (30) ventilators, to assist in the implementation of the FSM’s COVID-19 Response Framework.

 

Governor Oliver, in his capacity as Honorary Consul of the State of Israel to the FSM, posed with Secretary Taulung for a photograph in front of the supplies received through partnership with His Excellency Tibor Shalev Schlosser, Ambassador of Israel to the FSM and to the Pacific Island States. The supplies included 2,000 surgical masks, 200 NK95 masks, 4 infrared thermometers, and 40 protective suits, which will be equitably (i.e. fairly) distributed amongst the FSM’s States of Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae.

 

“Israel is very happy that we could contribute and assist our good friends in the Pacific in their times of need,” Ambassador Schlosser wrote in a message to the FSM National Government. “I wish you all good health—success and prosperity. May you never need to use these items.”

 

Governor Oliver, in his capacity as Governor of the FSM State of Pohnpei, then posed with Secretary Taulung and Ambassador Cantor in front of the supplies received from the United States of America through the defense provisions of the Compact of Free Association, as Amended. These supplies include ventilators, which will be equitably (i.e. fairly) distributed amongst the FSM’s States of Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae.

 

Following the photo opportunity, Secretary Taulung and Governor Oliver described their intention to ensure the FSM COVID-19 Task Force more closely collaborates with the Pohnpei COVID-19 Task Force. This will result in a joint FSM-PNI Task Force meeting in the coming days.

 

“All Micronesians, be they Yapese, Chuukese, Pohnpeian, or Kosraean, stand together in peace, friendship, cooperation, and love in our common humanity—indeed, our national unity—in combatting the COVID-19 threat,” His Excellency David W. Panuelo, President of the FSM, said in a statement following the proceedings. “I extend our Nation’s utmost gratitude to the State of Israel for their generosity and support.”

 

“I also again extend our Nation’s appreciation to our first and foremost ally, the United States of America,” President Panuelo continued, “for their continued commitment to our Enduring Partnership. Time and again the United States shows that they are just as committed to peace, friendship, cooperation, and love in our common humanity as Micronesians are. We proudly stand together with you during this time of crisis, and look forward to standing with you in less turbulent times ahead.”

 

“As a medical doctor myself,” Secretary Taulung said, “My colleagues and I in the FSM Department of Health & Social Affairs, like our counterparts in the respective State Departments of Health, are deeply appreciative of our own Governments’ commitments to ensuring our National response to the COVID-19 Pandemic is based on medical science. Likewise, we are humbled, touched, and moved by the generous assistance of our international friends, allies, and development partners, and today in particular to the United States of America and to the State of Israel. COVID-19 presents a unique challenge to the FSM, but I am confident that it is one that we will all emerge stronger from as we work together to prevent COVID-19 from reaching our shores and in mitigating COVID-19 from spreading around this Paradise in Our Backyards.”

 

As of May 7th, 2020, the FSM remains COVID-19 free. The FSM National Government remains committed to close collaboration with its international friends, allies, and development partners, and also with the State Governments of Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae to ensure that this remains the case until such a time that COVID-19 Pandemic is effectively contained, and that, in the event the virus arrives in the FSM, that it is successfully mitigated.