The United States continues to strengthen relations with Pacific Island nations through three main focuses: commercial diplomacy, energy security, and cooperation on law enforcement and maritime security.
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This was conveyed by Deputy Assistant Secretary for Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs of the US Department of State Matt Murray.
On the economic front, Murray said that as Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau emphasized, the US will push for trade, not aid, in strengthening economic ties with Pacific nations.
"Strengthening US commercial relationships to support private sector-led economic growth in the Pacific region is critical," he said.
Therefore, the US is redirecting its foreign assistance program to support private sector-led growth in the Pacific region, including through collaboration with Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and Taiwan to expand submarine cable connectivity across the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) member states.
In the energy sector, the US is working to ensure Pacific nations have access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy, particularly amid the impact of the Iran conflict on fuel supplies.
"The US continues to work with Pacific Island nations, including through the private sector, to support access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy," he said.
He said that since the global energy crisis began, the US has also worked with the private sector and exporting countries to encourage continued fuel export supplies to Pacific Island countries.
"I am pleased to report that the region has not experienced any supply shortages to date, although we continue to monitor the situation closely with our partners in Australia, Japan, and New Zealand," he said.
Furthermore, Murray said that his party understands that rising energy costs and their direct impact on the national budgets of Pacific countries is the most pressing issue for the region.
Meanwhile, in terms of security, the US prioritizes increased cooperation with Pacific nations to combat illegal drug trafficking, raise maritime situational awareness, and combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
"These challenges are pressing issues that impact the safety, security, and well-being of the people of the United States and the Pacific Island nations," he said.
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