February 8, 2024 | The Diplomat
US Congress’ COFA Delay Jeopardizes a Key Element of the ’Free and Open Indo-Pacific’
The U.S. government concluded COFA renewal talks with Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands in 2023. Months later, Congress has yet to approve the funding.
February 8, 2024 | The Diplomat
US Congress’ COFA Delay Jeopardizes a Key Element of the ’Free and Open Indo-Pacific’
The U.S. government concluded COFA renewal talks with Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands in 2023. Months later, Congress has yet to approve the funding.
Excerpt
Months ago, negotiations concluded between the United States and the three U.S. Freely Associated States (FAS) – Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia (FMS) and the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) – on the terms of the renewals of key components of the Compacts of Free Association (COFA).
Those components cover primarily financial and service elements of the Compacts for the next 20 years, things like education programs, support for U.S. military veterans from the FAS who have returned home, and the postal service.
Cleo Paskal is non-resident senior fellow for the Indo-Pacific at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). Follow her on X @CleoPaskal. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, non-partisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.