The Micronesian Islands Forum cranks up with officials meetings this week in Majuro, with the official opening for top leadership from the islands tomorrow morning.

Marshall Islands leaders are being joined at this summit by their counterparts from Kiribati, Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Palau.

“At this year’s Leaders Forum, I hope we can make meaningful progress on resolving airline connectivity issues — particularly in Micronesia — so our region remains connected and one step ahead,” President Hilda Heine said on the eve of this subregional summit.

• READ MORE: Other Micronesian reports

The Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia have been negotiating with Nauru Airlines over the past two years to extend the current island hopper service with a link to Honolulu.

“Equally important,” said President Heine, “the Forum offers a vital platform to strengthen regional solidarity and build common ground on key issues such as climate, ocean health, security, trade, and other pressing challenges.

“Ultimately, our shared purpose must be to work together in support of the communities we represent.”

Monday and Tuesday featured official-level meetings at the International Conference Center in Majuro. Tomorrow will be the official opening of the Forum and will feature statements from each of the islands represented.

Handing over chair
Outgoing Micronesian Island Forum chair Guam Governor Lourdes Leon Guerrero is expected to hand over the chair post to President Heine tomorrow morning.

Other top island leaders expected to attend the summit: FSM President Wesley Simina, Kiribati President Taneti Maamau, Nauru Deputy Speaker Isabela Dageago, Palau Minister Steven Victor, Chuuk Governor Alexander Narruhn, Pohnpei Governor Stevenson Joseph, Kosrae Governor Tulensa Palik, Yap Acting Governor Francis Itimai, and CNMI Lieutenant-Governor David Apatang.

Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Baron Waqa is also expected to participate.

Pretty much every subject of interest to the Pacific Islands will be on the table for discussions, including presentations on education, health and transportation. The latter will include a presentation by the Marshall Islands Aviation Task Force that has been meeting extensively with Nauru Airlines.

In addition, Pacific Ocean Commissioner Dr Filimon Manoni will deliver a presentation, gender equality will be on the table, as will updates on the SPC and Secretariat of the Pacific Region Environment Programme North Pacific offices, and the United Nations multi-country office.

The Micronesia Challenge environmental programme will get focus during a luncheon for the leaders hosted by the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority on Thursday at its new headquarters annex.

Bank presentations
Pacific Island Development Bank and the Bank of Guam will make presentations, as will the recently established Pacific Center for Island Security.

A special night market at the Marshall Islands Resort parking lot will be featured Wednesday evening.

Friday will feature a leaders retreat on Bokanbotin, a small resort island on Majuro Atoll’s north shore. While the leaders gather, other Forum participants will join a picnic or fishing tournament.

Friday evening is to feature the closing event to include the launching of the Marshall Islands’ Green Growth Initiative and the signing of the Micronesian Island Forum communique.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Guam is in a recovery phase after being pummelled by typhoon Mawar.

In a notice early today, Guam Waterworks Authority asked customers to conserve water while its services get restored.

A precautionary boil water notice was also in place until laboratory analysis confirms water is safe to drink.

• READ MORE: Other typhoon reports

The islands’ power authority said it had begun its post-typhoon restoration process following widespread outages.

It said crews were working around the clock to clear lines and restore electricity.

“We are working to restore your power service as soon as possible,” it said.

“We ask residents not to inundate or overwhelm Guam Power Authority Trouble Dispatch lines with inquiries regarding service restoration.”

Warning cancelled
Yesterday evening, Governor Lou Leon Guerrero removed the typhoon warning for Guam after consulting with the National Weather Service.

“We have weathered the worst magnitude of typhoon,” Guerrero said in a video.

“I am now declaring Guam condition of readiness four effective 5pm.”

A spokesperson from US Indo-Pacific Command said it was ready to provide support to “whatever assistance is deemed necessary” by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and local government officials.

The spokesperson said they had deployed initial assessment teams to survey the damage.

The worst of typhoon Mawar was experienced on Wednesday night in Guam with sustained winds of up to 225 km/h and in some locations with rain exceeding 50 cm in the space of 12 hours.

Cars flipped
Cars were flipped and corrugated iron was torn off roofs.

The eye of the storm went through the Rota channel and briefly clipped northern Guam. Damaging winds continued into Thursday.

Meteorologist Landon Aydlett, from the US National Weather Service office in Guam, said it would take weeks for the island to clean up the mess.

“We are waking up to a rather disturbing scene out there across Guam,” Aydlett said.

“We’re looking out our door and what used to be a jungle looks like toothpicks, it looks like a scene from the movie Twister, with trees just thrashed apart, we lost most of our non-coconut trees out their yesterday evening. We have a mess on hand.”

A spokesperson from FEMA told RNZ Pacific two people were injured in Guam and there were no fatalities.

Mariana’s Rota island hit worst
The Public Information Officer for the Governor of Northern Mariana Islands, Frankie Eliptico, said Rota took the biggest beating out of all the CNMI islands.

Eliptico said there had been no reports of major injuries or fatalities in the Marianas.

“No major damage has been reported from this morning but again those assessments are still being conducted,” he said.

“There have been some communication towers that have been affected but as far as major damage that we are seeing on Guam we are not seeing here in the CMNI.”

RNZ Pacific’s CNMI correspondent Mark Rabago said government agencies were closed yesterday and schools would remain shut on Friday.

Rabago said the priority for Rota was now to prepare ports to collect supplies.

“Their first mission once the sun comes out is go to the docks, that means to go to the airports, go to the seaports and clear the access roads going through it, so when supplies do come in they won’t have any difficulty bringing those supplies who really need it.”

In a statement, FEMA said that more than 130 staff were ready to help local response efforts in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. More than 100 generators as well as emergency communication equipment were also being sent.

Mawar was upgraded to a super typhoon after passing the Mariana Islands and could threaten Taiwan or the Philippines early next week.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero has expressed support for the Federated States of Micronesia’s move to oppose China’s proposed “action plan” for the Pacific island states, advising island governments to be vigilant against the communist nation’s attempts to control domestic affairs.

“Guam stands with you and your effort to minimise China’s efforts to control Pacific governments, assets and resources,” Leon Guerrero said in a July 19 letter to FSM President David Panuelo.

“With respect to your concerns and warnings relating to China’s proposals to address climate change, I take notice. We should remain vigilant and focused on this most pressing issue,” she added.

• READ MORE: Other China in Pacific reports

On May 27, Panuelo wrote to Pacific island state leaders to dissuade them from signing on to Beijing’s proposed China-Pacific Island Countries Common Development Vision and the China-Pacific Island Countries Five Year Action Plan on Common Development (2022-2026).

At first glance, Panuelo said, the documents contained terms that were “attractive to many of us, perhaps all of us.”

“They speak of democracy and equity and freedom and justice, and compare and contrast these ideas with concepts that we, as Pacific Islands, would want to align ourselves with, such as sustainable development, tackling climate change, and economic growth,” Panuelo said.

However, he said the fine print revealed concerning details indicating China’s intention “to acquire access and control of our region, with the result being the fracturing of regional peace, security, and stability, all while in the name of accomplishing precisely that task”.

China pact rejected by 10 nations
While China has managed to seal a security agreement with the Solomon Islands, 10 Pacific island nations have eventually rejected Beijing’s “sustainable development” proposal.

Leon Guerrero said she agreed with Panuelo “that the US needs to increase its assistance to its island territories in the Pacific.”

“To that end, my administration will continue its work on pursuing climate change assistance and environmental justice advocacy for our islands,” she told the FSM leader.

The FSM, which is freely associated with the United States, has adopted a “friend to all and an enemy to none” foreign policy.

Torn between two superpowers, the FSM treads cautiously to define its relationship with China and the United States.

“My country is the only sovereign Pacific island country in the world that has both a great friendship with China as well as an enduring partnership, demonstrated by our Compact of Free Association, with the United States,” Panuelo wrote in his letter.

“We have ceaselessly advocated for joint China-US cooperation on tackling climate change and we have ceaselessly advocated for joint China-US promotion of peace and harmony in our Blue Pacific Continent. My country’s unique context, I believe, compels me to speak,” he said.

‘Unique relationships’
Leon Guerrero said she recognised the FSM’s “unique relationships” with the United States and China.

“The perspectives you and your diplomats have developed while navigating between these two superpowers are valuable, especially as we chart a course on partnering with them for the good of our islands while exercising reasonable precautions.

“In fostering good relations. I appreciate your insights and perspectives shared with our Pacific brothers and sisters,” the Guam governor told Panuelo.

As a US territory dubbed as “the tip of the spear,” Leon Guerrero said Guam played a role in homeland security.

“The island of Guam is in the midst of the largest peacetime military buildup in US history, so we also have a perspective to share,” the governor said.

“We see firsthand the urgency the US is exerting to showcase its military force and willingness to keep Pacific sea lanes open for peaceful free-flowing trade among nations.”

Mar-Vic Cagurangan is editor-in-chief of the Pacific Island Times. Republished with permission.