LUA DEADLINE EXTENSION PRESENTED TO GRMI

UNCLAS MAJURO 000147 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MARR RM SUBJECT: LUA DEADLINE EXTENSION PRESENTED TO GRMI REF: A. STATE 129686 ¶B. MAJURO 0146 ¶1. SUMMARY: The Ambassador met with President Tomeing and his top advisors upon the President's return from Ebeye. At the meeting the Ambassador presented the President with DAS Davies' letter on behalf of President Bush, along with the attached letter of instruction for handling the disposition of the escrow account (REF A). Acting as Foreign Minister, the President has signed and returned the letter of instruction. END SUMMARY ¶2. President Tomeing stated that his trip to Ebeye had been primarily to update the landowners on efforts his government had taken to address their concerns about Kwajalein land rentals, specifically covered in his letter to President Bush. He also told the landowners the Government was waiting for a response to the letter. ¶3. When presenting DAS Davies' response to Tomeing's letter, the Ambassador stressed that the extension of the LUA deadline was a response to President Tomeing's statement that negotiations with the landowners were ongoing. Furthermore, the Ambassador noted that the open and cooperative nature of the relationship between the Embassy and the President's office was instrumental in reassuring Washington that a signed LUA was possible. The Ambassador also presented text of a new letter of instruction for the LUA escrow account. He encouraged and expedient review, given the impending deadline, in order to clear up lingering legal questions surrounding the disposition of the account. ¶4. President Tomeing and his advisors appeared genuinely pleased to hear their request for an extension had been granted. President Tomeing requested a "day or two" to examine the letter in depth and promised to meet again with the Ambassador to discuss it before the end of the week. The President and his advisors also spent several hours examining the letter of instruction before signing and returning it to Post later in the day. ¶5. In closing, the Ambassador noted that recent damage caused by tidal surges in Majuro (REF B) pointed to a need for expedient GRMI action on two outstanding diplomatic notes relating to USAID's disaster response program. Minister in Assistance Loeak said the notes had been before the Cabinet for some time, but had not yet been discussed. President Tomeing promised swift consideration of the notes and that a response would be forthcoming shortly. BISHOP