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Why does Australia have its embassy
in Pohnpei?
The Federated States of Micronesia is the largest independent country in Micronesia.
As a member of the South Pacific Forum, along with Palau and the Marshall islands,
Australia shares a great many bilateral, regional and developmental objectives
with these independent countries. This forms the foundation of our diplomatic
contact in this immediate region.
The embassy in Pohnpei also has broad consular responsibility for Guam and the Northern Marianas.
One of the key ways in which Australia is contributing to the Island Nations in FSM, Marshall Islands and Palau is through human resource development. The Embassy sponsors a number of Micronesian students to study in Australia, Fiji and elsewhere, under official Australian educational assistance schemes. This assistance is valued annually at just on one million Australian dollars. Over the past decade, hundreds of students have undertaken such study.
Our program is giving many Micronesians the opportunity to learn and interact with their Pacific brothers and sisters in regional campuses. This serves to strengthen regional ties and to reinforce the notion of a Pacific community, which can otherwise quickly be lost in a period of rapid economic and social change.
Other development assistance programs focus on local education, information technology, health, environment and small scale enterprises.
The Australian Development Gateway is a website that enables people to access electronic information produced by Australian organisations relevant to development. It currently covers four sectors: agriculture, health and information and communication technologies. The Australian Development Gateway is at www.developmentgateway.com.au.
Another major area of support has been through the contribution of Australia’s Pacific Patrol Boat Program, in which Australia works hand in hand with the FSM, Palau and the Marshall Islands in the protection and management of their vital fisheries resources. In a very practical and evident way the project supports the maintenance of full sovereignty over these nations’ exclusive economic zones.
The sound management of viable and sustainable fisheries sectors in the region is a key to economic growth, now and in the future. Over the past five years or so this assistance from Australia amounts to well in excess of AUD 30 million. Australia has provided five patrol boats and has an ongoing commitment to maintenance and advisory support.
Australia and the US have a common strategic interest in supporting this sort of capacity-building in the Island countries in this part of the world. We value the close cooperation between our nations, including through the US representatives here in Guam, and throughout the region.
Just as economic reform, liberalization and globalisation are issues of critical importance to our own economies, Australia is also responding to the necessary economic reform initiatives in the Island countries through targeted technical assistance.
Australia works closely with the Micronesian countries in a number of multilateral organizations, principally the South Pacific Forum, to ensure that available support is focused and effectively delivered in support of sustainable development.
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