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428081899
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Meeting with President Amata Kabua of the Marshall Islands and President Bailey Olter of Micronesia, September 24, 1991
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doc
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document
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428081899
contentType
document
title
Meeting with President Amata Kabua of the Marshall Islands and President Bailey Olter of Micronesia, September 24, 1991
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Records of the National Security Council (George H. W. Bush Administration)
Presidential Memcon Files
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Marshall Islands
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428081899
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24
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1991-09-24
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9
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1991
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CONF IDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL 7700 THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION SUBJECT: Meeting with President Amata Kabua of the Marshall Islands and President Bailey Olter of Micronesia PARTICIPANTS: The President James A. Baker, III, Secretary of State Andy Card, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff Brent Scowcroft, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Richard Solomon, Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Douglas Paal, Senior Director for Asian Affairs, Notetaker President Amata Kabua, President of Marshall Islands Thomas Kijiner, Foreign Minister Wilfred Kendall, Ambassador to the United States Bailey Olter, President Federated States of Micronesia Astrio Takesy, Deputy Secretary of External Affairs Jesse Marehalav, Ambassador to the United States DATE, TIME September 24, 1991 1:36 - 2:14 p.m. EDT AND PLACE: Waldorf Astoria, New York The President: Well, I just wanted to welcome you all and greet your new arrival to the UN. I also want to hear from you. We are often so engrossed in the Middle East and the Soviet Union, but we do not want to send a signal to the Pacific that we do not care. That is why we had the Pacific Summit. We are working on the environment. I want to hear, what are the priorities out there? ICT President Kabua: First, Mr. President, I would like to thank you on behalf of myself and my people for all your support. We have a great political achievement in becoming members of the UN. As far as the Marshall Islands is concerned, things are just great with the United States. We want to maintain relations with the U.S. We want to work on our livelihood. May I yield to the Chairman of the Pacific Forum? (C) DECLASSIFIED PER E.O. 12958, CONFIDENTIAL AS AMENDED Declassify on: OADR 2000 -0429-F 8/21/09 110 CONFIDENTIAL 2 President Olter: Following the line taken by President Kabua, I want to thank you and the State Department. We are very thankful for the efforts of the United States. At the present, the main issue is the improvement of the economy and to do what is important for the development of the Federated States of Micronesia. We want to improve public health. Under the provisions of the FMSC compacts, we are to maintain and live up to the agreement. One area, however, we want to touch base with in your Cabinet is the quota of the tuna catch. Under our statistics ten percent of the consumption should be imported free into the United States. But, it looks like some did not go along with your proclamation. This provision, we feel, is an incentive to attract certain investors in the FSM and RMI. (CT The President: We are reviewing this. I thought it might come up. Dick Solomon briefed me on it. We ought to look at it when we get back. (C) Mr. Solomon: The USTR works up (U) The President: We will look into it. What is it about tuna that they are always making trouble? How about Johnston Island? We made sure that we were doing everything safely. I know there are concerns. I hope that what is happening there will allay those concerns. (C) President Olter: We had a discussion at the Forum. Johnston Island seems to be behind US. Mr. Solomon: At the Forum, it seems that the testing has helped. (C) The President: I am concerned not to be seen as operating the island unsafely. We are not out there because we do not care. When will you be going home? LCT President Kabua: Tomorrow, I will be going to Los Angeles. (U) The President: I enjoyed our Pacific meeting. I want to do it again some time. I want to demonstrate that we care about South Pacific. I do not know when we will get out there again, but it was great golf. I am taking a long trip in the late fall. I will be in Hawaii for a day, rushing back. fe) President Kabua: I want to say it was a wonderful speech you gave yesterday. (U) The President: Thank you. The news is all about Iraq. They are still detaining people, right Marlin? ACT Mr. Fitzwater: Yes, they are detaining people. (C) CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL 3 The President: This man just does not seem to get the message. If he gets away once, he wins. He cannot get away with this. It ruins all the capability of the United Nations to solve problems. Well, it was a short visit, but a pleasant one as far as I am concerned. (e) END OF CONVERSATION CONFIDENTIAL