President Lionel Aingimea has assured Micronesian leaders that Nauru stands strong and united with its Micronesian brethren during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Mr. President we have travelled some 3000miles albeit in the midst of a global pandemic with border restrictions, but we have been inspired by our COVID Free Micronesia; which through the Grace of God, we continue to enjoy today,” President Aingimea said in his opening statement at the Micronesian Presidents Summit in Palau.
“We imagined, we discussed and we planned for this meeting…, we imagined that we could do it, we discussed that we could do it, planned that we could do it because we are in a Micronesian free area and we are in a travel bubble that allowed us to do this.”
“We knew that this was an unprecedented initiative, but yet through constructive dialogue and our collective determination today; we have demonstrated to the rest of the region and the world that in the face of adversity, Micronesia stands strong. When other countries are still contemplating about a travel bubble…, we have taken the bold first step and made sure that the Micronesian bubble is true,” he said according to a report by Nauru Media News.
President Aingimea is accompanied by Speaker of Parliament Marcus Stephen, Minister for Health Isabella Dageago, Minister for CIE Rennier Gadabu, Minister for NRC and Ronphos Reagan Aliklik, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Asterio Appi, Deputy Minister for Health Pyon Deiye and Deputy Minister for Education Richard-Hyde Menke.
Leaders of Palau, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Kiribati, and the Federated States of Micronesia are attending the meeting.
The leaders are expected to take advantage of their countries' Covid-free status to discuss a range of Micronesian issues including expanding debt-stress.
The meeting would also be an opportunity for the leaders to talk about a regional travel bubble.
Photo Courtesy: PNCC