FSM Information Services
Press Release
President Panuelo Commits with the Presidents of Palau, Marshall Islands, Nauru, and Kiribati to Initiate the Formal Process of Withdrawal from the Pacific Islands Forum
PALIKIR, Pohnpei—On February 8th, 2021, His Excellency David W. Panuelo—President of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)—joined a virtual convening of the Micronesian Presidents Summit (MPS). The primary outcome of the meeting is that the FSM, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Nauru, and the Republic of Kiribati, have jointly agreed to initiate the formal process of withdrawal from the Pacific Islands Forum.
President Panuelo and the other Presidents of the MPS expressed great disappointment with the appointment process for the position of Secretary General within the Pacific Islands Forum. President Panuelo expressed frustration at how several Pacific Leaders suggested the Gentlemen’s Agreement doesn’t exist or that they’ve never heard of it.
President Panuelo and the other Presidents of the MPS expressed unity and solidarity within the Micronesian subregion, and reaffirmed that the subregion’s mutual position is that, per the October 2nd, 2020 Mekreos Communique of the MPS, as the Gentlemen’s Agreement was not honored, Micronesian countries see no benefit to remaining in the Pacific Island Forum.
President Panuelo and the other Presidents of the MPS agreed to initiate their formal withdrawal process from the Pacific Islands Forum.
Find the MPS Joint Communique here: https://gov.fm/files/MPS_Leaders_Meeting_-_Communique_2021_Feb.pdf
