I rise today in support of the PARTNER Act, introduced by Congressman Castro of Texas, and cosponsored by myself and seven of our colleagues who are particularly invested in advancing our country’s relationships with crucial international organizations.
This bill extends diplomatic privileges and immunities to five multilateral organizations. I am grateful that Congressman Castro included a section from my Pacific Partnership Act, which extends diplomatic privileges and immunities to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), the region’s premier multilateral organization with eighteen members across Oceania, in the hopes that the PIF will establish a mission to the U.S.
Scattered across the three traditional Pacific subregions of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia are over two dozen jurisdictions collectively known as the Pacific Islands, including twelve independent states, countries in free association and territories. Though small in land area and population, the land plus maritime exclusive economic zones of all these jurisdictions combined exceed the land areas of China and Russia combined, comprising a significant part of the vast Pacific Ocean and our Earth’s surface.
The Pacific Islands region remains critical to our national security interests in the Indo-Pacific and advises greater U.S. engagement to advance our shared interests and values, particularly in the context of growing geopolitical competition and threats by our shared adversaries to endanger the pursuit of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation to sustain and expand U.S. engagement in this critical region.
I rise today in support of the PARTNER Act, introduced by Congressman Castro of Texas, and cosponsored by myself and seven of our colleagues who are particularly invested in advancing our country’s relationships with crucial international organizations.
This bill extends diplomatic privileges and immunities to five multilateral organizations. I am grateful that Congressman Castro included a section from my Pacific Partnership Act, which extends diplomatic privileges and immunities to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), the region’s premier multilateral organization with eighteen members across Oceania, in the hopes that the PIF will establish a mission to the U.S.
Scattered across the three traditional Pacific subregions of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia are over two dozen jurisdictions collectively known as the Pacific Islands, including twelve independent states, countries in free association and territories. Though small in land area and population, the land plus maritime exclusive economic zones of all these jurisdictions combined exceed the land areas of China and Russia combined, comprising a significant part of the vast Pacific Ocean and our Earth’s surface.
The Pacific Islands region remains critical to our national security interests in the Indo-Pacific and advises greater U.S. engagement to advance our shared interests and values, particularly in the context of growing geopolitical competition and threats by our shared adversaries to endanger the pursuit of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation to sustain and expand U.S. engagement in this critical region.
I rise today in support of the PARTNER Act, introduced by Congressman Castro of Texas, and cosponsored by myself and seven of our colleagues who are particularly invested in advancing our country’s relationships with crucial international organizations.
This bill extends diplomatic privileges and immunities to five multilateral organizations. I am grateful that Congressman Castro included a section from my Pacific Partnership Act, which extends diplomatic privileges and immunities to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), the region’s premier multilateral organization with eighteen members across Oceania, in the hopes that the PIF will establish a mission to the U.S.
Scattered across the three traditional Pacific subregions of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia are over two dozen jurisdictions collectively known as the Pacific Islands, including twelve independent states, countries in free association and territories. Though small in land area and population, the land plus maritime exclusive economic zones of all these jurisdictions combined exceed the land areas of China and Russia combined, comprising a significant part of the vast Pacific Ocean and our Earth’s surface.
The Pacific Islands region remains critical to our national security interests in the Indo-Pacific and advises greater U.S. engagement to advance our shared interests and values, particularly in the context of growing geopolitical competition and threats by our shared adversaries to endanger the pursuit of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation to sustain and expand U.S. engagement in this critical region.
