AMBASSADOR PRAHAR PRESENTS CREDENTIALS, MEETS WITH FSM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KOLONIA 000008

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/ANP
DOI FOR OIA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/10/2020
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON EAID FM
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR PRAHAR PRESENTS CREDENTIALS, MEETS WITH FSM
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

REF: 09 KOLONIA 97

CLASSIFIED BY: William Douglass, Deputy Chief of Mission,
AmEmbassy - Kolonia, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)

1. (U) Summary. Peter Alan Prahar became the eighth U.S.
Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) after
presenting his credentials to FSM President Emanuel Mori.
Ambassador Prahar then met separately with President Mori,
Secretary for Foreign Affairs Lorin Robert, and Acting Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court Martin Yinug. The discussions
covered such issues as security, economic development, and
climate change. End summary.




2. (U) On the morning of February 5, Ambassador-Designate Peter
Prahar arrived at the Presidential conference room to present
his credentials. National and state government leaders and
members of the diplomatic corps watched as the Ambassador handed
the Letter of Recall from former Ambassador Miriam Hughes, as
well as the Letter of Credence from President Obama, to FSM
President Emanuel Mori.




3. (U) Early in his remarks, Ambassador Prahar quoted Secretary
of State Clinton when he said, "the United States is back in
Asia" and "we are back to stay." He stressed the importance of
the security relationship, pointing out that both President Mori
and Vice President Alik have children serving in the U.S.
military. He also noted that the U.S. will defend the FSM "as
the U.S. and its citizens are defended - the highest level of
security commitment we can make."




4. (U) Ambassador Prahar pledged to help the FSM reach its
development goals. He promised that the more than 30 U.S.
agencies working in the FSM would be "credible advocates for
policy reforms and program recommendations," and that they would
operate in "an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect."




5. (U) Ambassador Prahar went on to note that the Micronesians
emit very few carbon emissions, but find themselves among the
peoples most threatened by climate change. Ambassador Prahar
gave assurances that combating this problem is a "top priority"
of the Obama administration.




6. (U) In his remarks, President Mori said the FSM has a "unique
and special" relationship with the United States, noting that
the U.S. is "the only country in the world" that allows
Micronesians "to live, work, and study and even serve in the
U.S. Armed Forces."




7. (U) President Mori then turned to the Compact. He called the
first five years of the Amended Compact "a time of adjustment
for both our governments" and urged "all of us to further
improve its implementation." He added: "While we recognize that
this [the five year Compact review] is an exercise for your
government, we hope that your government can benefit from our
perspective as a partner in the important process."



MEETING WITH PRESIDENT MORI

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8. (C) After the public ceremony concluded, Ambassador Prahar
and President Mori returned to the conference room for a private
discussion. President Mori spoke first, thanking the U.S. for
"everything" since the "takeover" of the islands from the
Japanese in 1945.




9. (C) Addressing the Compact, the President called the first
Compact "weak" and said the "FSM didn't do it right, frankly"
(referring to Compact administration). He claimed the Amended
Compact made the bilateral relationship stronger and deeper.
The FSM will continue to work to keep the relationship strong.

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It won't all be smooth, but the relationship with the U.S. will
remain the country's most significant.




10. (C) Mori expects the five year review to expose weaknesses
and show ways to strengthen the relationship. He hopes the
review will show the need for timely and improved Compact
implementation and the need to direct aid to the right people.
The President referred to former Ambassador Hughes' desire to
have Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) personnel in the islands.
He agreed that while OIA is doing its best, implementation could
improve "with someone on the ground."




11. (C) Turning to security, the President acknowledged the need
to work on issues such as counterterrorism. While the FSM
counts on the U.S. to support development and security, the U.S.
can count on the FSM to maintain its friendship.




12. (C) In response, the Ambassador noted that relocating
additional military forces on Guam should increase maritime
surveillance. The FSM should be able to benefit from the "last
healthy fisheries on Earth," and we can't allow the depletion of
that resource to happen here.



13.(C) The Ambassador indicated he wants to spend his first 100
days listening to people and gathering his own impressions on
how well the Compact is working. He sees the five year review
as a chance to make corrections for the next 15 years; the FSM's
viewpoint is absolutely essential to this process. The
Ambassador went on to note the general disappointment
surrounding the FSM's declining economy and its large
out-migration. There is no reason why the FSM cannot be a
prosperous country, he said.




14. (C) The Ambassador stated he plans to tour Compact projects.
Based on his ten years of development work, the Ambassador
identified three elements necessary for successful assistance
programs: a) the projects must utilize the community's sense of
enterprise; b) results are important, just spending the money is
not good enough; and c) the projects must be undertaken in
partnership with the community.



15.(C) President Mori suggested that they could meet again after
the Ambassador's tour. The Ambassador agreed, and assured
President Mori that there will be an atmosphere of mutual
respect, that there will be no ultimatums.



MEETING WITH SECRETARY ROBERT

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16.(C) Next, Ambassador Prahar walked over to the Department of
Foreign Affairs and met with Secretary Lorin Robert. After
congratulating Ambassador Prahar, Secretary Robert introduced
Deputy Secretary Jane Chigiyal, claiming that her appointment
demonstrated the FSM's commitment to a strong relationship with
the U.S. (Ms. Chigiyal worked as the America's Desk Officer for
many years.)




17. (C) The Ambassador noted he has a very busy schedule for the
first 100 days. He wants to visit all the states and meet with
anyone who wants to meet with him. "I will not lecture, but I
will listen, and I hope to meet with you afterwards to discuss."




18. (C) Secretary Robert said the FSM supports the military
buildup in Guam and sees real benefits accruing to the FSM, but
"unfortunately" there are elements in Guam and Japan that could

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"cause problems." The Ambassador replied that since Guam is a
part of the United States he can't weigh in on the politics, but
the Secretary may. Once those issues are resolved, the FSM
should see more ships and military contacts. The military
people he talked to all agreed on the need for increased patrols.



19.(C) Secretary Robert expressed his pride and appreciation for
the bilateral military relationship. He said that while there
may be problems with the Department of the Interior, the FSM
truly cherishes its role with the U.S. military.



20.(SBU) The Ambassador thanked the Secretary for the FSM's
support for many of the U.S. positions in the U.N.



MEETING WITH ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE YINUG AND ASSOCIATE JUSTICE
YAMASE

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21. (SBU) In his last meeting of the day, Ambassador Prahar met
with Acting Chief Justice of the FSM Supreme Court Martin Yinug
and Associate Supreme Court Justice Dennis Yamase. Justice
Yinug assumed the "acting" title after the death of Chief
Justice Andon Amaraich on January 26. Ambassador Prahar began
the meeting by expressing his sincere condolences for the
passing of the Chief Justice.




22. (C) In response to a question asking which challenges
confront the FSM legal system, Acting Chief Justice Yinug
replied that it is important to decide cases so that potential
investors feel comfortable investing in the country. Associate
Justice Yamase echoed that sentiment by declaring economic
development to be the Court's most important role. [COMMENT:
Post suspects this answer may have been an attempt to avert
criticism. Post previously reported on the case of Bob and
Patti Arthur (see reftel and previous),an American couple that
saw their business ruined by the Pohnpei state government. The
Supreme Court, with Justice Yamase writing the opinion, ruled
that the Arthurs must repay a development loan with interest
totaling over one million dollars, despite Pohnpei's actions.
Post remains overtly supportive of the Arthurs, and the Justices
may have wanted to demonstrate their pro-business credentials to
the new Ambassador. End comment.]




23. (C) Acting Chief Justice Yinug also revealed some
limitations of the FSM judicial system. When asked how many
judges are in the country, Yinug replied that there are fewer
than 20 at the national level, accompanied by more than 80
municipal court judges. He acknowledged that many of the
municipal judges not only lack training, but basic education as
well. Some cannot even speak English. Moreover, Yinug noted
that in his home state of Yap the municipal courts are not even
required to keep records; there is no documentation of what they
are doing.



CONCLUSION

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24. (SBU) The warm welcome given to Ambassador Prahar portends a
good working relationship. His first meetings with FSM
government officials produced no major surprises. FSM officials
appreciate U.S. assistance, but they chafe under some conditions
in the Compact. They hope that the five year Compact review
will usher in some beneficial changes, including the assignment
of Department of Interior personnel to the FSM. They also
anticipate economic benefit and an increased security presence
with the Guam military buildup.
PRAHARP