New Australian Ambassador Meets RMI Leaders
Australia’s new Ambassador to the Marshall Islands received a warm welcome from President Litokwa Tomeing, local non-government organizations and other officials on her first visit to the Marshall Islands this past this week.
At the diplomatic credentials ceremony for Ambassador Susan Cox, Tomeing recognized new Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for his strong support on climate change and environmental protection issues.
Cox said her government is keen to help Pacific islands “meet our common challenges and to raise the standard living for people throughout the region.” In this regard, Australia wants to pursue a “Pacific Partnership for Development” with the Marshall Islands to establish “a new framework for us to commit jointly to achieving shared goals.”
Cox, who is based in Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia, visited with local non-profit groups, presenting Youth to Youth in Health with a grant award under the Pacific regional HIV prevention project to support “after dark” services for youth. The competitive grant, which is supported by AusAID, is worth A$160,000 (US$153,000). She also met with the Waan Aelon in Majel (Canoes of the Marshall Islands), an outrigger canoe building and training program for out-of-school youth, to present a grant of A$15,000 (US$14,330) to support administrative and capacity building for its youth development program.
In an interview, Cox said that Australia has “a new government, and wants a new engagement with the Pacific region, including the Compact (U.S.-affiliated) nations.” She acknowledged that Australia’s presence in the three U.S.-affiliated islands in the north Pacific is different than in the south because of their close relationship with and large scale funding from the United States. But she said Australia is committed to increasing its commitment and aid support to the Marshall Islands and other islands in the region.
During the diplomatic exchange with President Tomeing, the Marshall Islands leader expressed grave concern to Cox about the crisis that skyrocketing fuel prices are having in this small island nation. “This is a national disaster which we were not prepared for,” he said. “It is not like typhoons or cyclones, which we do have contingency plans for.” He welcomed advice from the Australian government on the problem.
While she said she touched on specific issues with various leaders and others during her meetings, Cox said the most important point of her first visit was to “get to know people. It’s important to get to know people before you raise big issues.”
She is also the ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau.
