Marshall Islands says US must address nuclear legacy for deal on future ties
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Marshall Islands' President David Kabua made his call to the US at the UN General Assembly in New York.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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UNITED NATIONS - The president of the Marshall Islands David Kabua said on Wednesday his country was "cautiously optimistic" it could soon finalise a deal on future ties with the United States.
But he repeated a call for Washington to address the legacy of massive nuclear testing
The Marshall Islands is one of three sparsely populated Pacific island nations covered by so-called Compacts of Free Association (COFAs) with the US.
Under the agreements, the US has responsibility for their defence and provides economic assistance.
At the same time, Washington gains exclusive access to huge strategic swathes of the Pacific.
The US agreed renewed COFA deals with Micronesia and Palau in 2023.
It is still negotiating with the Marshall Islands at a time when China is making significant inroads into the Pacific, a region the US has long considered its back yard.
The foreign minister of the Marshall Islands called in July for more US money to deal with the nuclear legacy to enable the renewal of its COFA, the economic terms of which expire on Sept 30.
Mr Kabua told the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York his country wanted to continue its free association with the US.
But he said Washington "must realise that the Marshallese people require that the nuclear issue will be addressed".
"We ... have satisfactorily addressed most issues and remain cautiously optimistic that our agreements will be finalised soon," he said. "However, there remain difficult issues that the Marshallese people have insisted need to be resolved ... we cannot ignore the wishes of our people."
Under MOUs agreed this year, the US will commit a total of US$7.1 billion (S$9.7 billion) over 20 years to the three nations, subject to congressional approval.
Chief US negotiator Joseph Yun has proposed Congress approve the total amount by Sept 30, even without a final agreement with the Marshall Islands.
The top US diplomat for East Asia Daniel Kritenbrink told a July congressional hearing the US was "absolutely committed" to reaching a deal with the Marshall Islands.
He said such agreements are "central to our entire position in the Pacific".
Marshall Islanders are still plagued by health and environmental effects of 67 US nuclear bomb tests from 1946 to 1958.
These include "Castle Bravo" at Bikini Atoll in 1954 - the largest US bomb ever detonated.
US President Joe Biden will host a second summit
The talks are part of his efforts to step up engagement with a region where the US is in a battle for influence with China. REUTERS
