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Current News |
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June 09, 2008
Washington, D.C. – Minister of Foreign Affairs Tony A. deBrum recently concluded his first official visit to the US capitol. Minister deBrum re-established contacts with key leaders in the US Government and pursued several major initiatives critical to RMI-US relations.
Minister deBrum, accompanied by new UN Ambassador Phillip Muller, US Ambassador-designate Benjamin Graham, and RMI Under-Secretary for US Affairs Bernard Adiniwin, held a dozen meetings during the one-week visit. This included meetings with Senator Daniel Akaka (Hawaii), Senator Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), congressional staffers representing the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Insular Affairs for the Committee on Natural Resources, representatives of the US Navy, and representatives of the US Department of State’s Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs. Additional meeting were held with private sector representatives, including Ocean Engineering & Energy Systems (OCEES), a solar firm named Sopogy, and several attorneys currently representing RMI interests in Washington.
The delegation pursued a number of major issues during the visit, including the prospect of establishing an ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) plant to provide sustainable water and power for both the Kwajalein base and Ebeye residents. The delegation discussed with the State Department the status of US Ambassador-designate Benjamin Graham’s accreditation process and received full and final clearance from State for the establishment of the RMI Consulate in Springdale, Arkansas. Also on the agenda was the current energy crisis -- Minister deBrum lobbied for inclusion of the FAS in whatever support the federal government provides to all states with respect to rising energy costs.
During the visit, the delegation also took time to inspect the RMI official and residential facilities in both Washington and New York and finalized plans for long-overdue repair and maintenance work.
Because Minister deBrum’s visit to Washington constituted the middle-leg portion of a preceding visit to Taiwan and a subsequent visit to Italy, the bulk of his travel expenses were not borne by the RMI.
-RMI Ministry of Foreign Affairs-
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