The United States hosted leaders, ministers, and senior officials from 16 Pacific Island countries and territories in Honolulu this week for The Pacific Agenda: Investment, Security, and Shared Prosperity Summit, alongside U.S. private-sector representatives and key U.S. government finance agencies – the United States International Development Finance Corporation, Millennium Challenge Corporation, and U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau co-hosted the summit with Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai’i, from February 22-24.
The summit advanced the Trump Administration’s priorities of fostering private-sector-led economic growth, promoting U.S. commercial diplomacy, and bolstering security in the Indo-Pacific region. Delegates from across the Pacific discussed partnerships with the United States private sector on infrastructure, critical minerals, supply chains, energy security, the digital economy, tourism, food security, and financial services. More than 80 American companies participated in this Summit, representing over $5.3 trillion in market value, with particular thanks to Google, APTelecom, Starlink, Matson Shipping, Architects Hawaii Limited, The Wonderful Company, and Mare Liberum.
At the Summit closing session on February 24, Deputy Secretary Landau presided over the following announcements of new U.S.-funded projects and investments in the Pacific Islands.
Belau National Hospital Relocation Feasibility Study Contract Signing: Palau President Surangel Whipps, Jr. and Hawaii Architects, Ltd. signed a $2.37 million contract to undertake a USTDA-funded feasibility study that will help mobilize financing for the relocation and development of Palau’s only hospital, the Belau National Hospital. The study will advance the construction of a new modern hospital with a capacity of up to 150 beds and support the deployment of U.S. equipment to provide advanced medical capabilities currently unavailable in Palau.
Pacific Islands Regional Digital Transformation Reverse Trade Mission Series: USTDA announced funding for two reverse trade missions to support public sector digital transformation in the Pacific Islands. Each visit to the United States will include a delegation of up to 16 senior officials from the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, and Tuvalu. The visits will assist countries to evaluate trusted technology options, identify financing pathways, and advance priority digital transformation projects.
Pacific Island Transportation Infrastructure Scoping: USTDA announced funding for project scoping to initiate infrastructure development processes and identify pathways to deploy trusted U.S. technology to strategic projects that would strengthen airport security in Kiribati, improve the reliability of Tonga’s fuel supply, upgrade the Republic of Marshall Islands Amata Kabua International Airport, redevelop Fiji’s Port of Levuka, and improve mail delivery through commercial drones.
Expansion of Pacific Connect to Marshall Islands and American Samoa: The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and American Samoa are set to join the Pacific Connect undersea cable network, with $132 million in U.S. Government funding for RMI and American Samoa in partnership with those governments, as well as support from a $3.4 million USTDA feasibility study.
Building Prosecutorial Capacity in the Freely Associated States: U.S. Indo-Pacific Command announced that DOW will provide $3 million in funding to leverage a U.S. Department of Justice prosecutor based in Honolulu to work in partnership with the Freely Associated States to address transnational criminal cases.
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