Enhancing the U.S.-Pacific Islands Partnership

President Joe Biden renewed our commitment to enhancing our partnership with the Pacific Islands, and the respective governments, to achieve our shared vision for a resilient Pacific region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion, and prosperity, where individuals can reach their potential, the environment can thrive, and democracy can flourish. President Biden announced a new slate of activities, including plans to work with Congress to request and provide nearly $200 million in funding. The President announced plans to expand the U.S. Pacific Islands Infrastructure Initiative, working with Congress, to provide more than $28 million, and to request from Congress an additional $12 million, to support secure, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure in the Pacific Islands. The United States supports connecting the Pacific Islands to commercial, international subsea cables through efforts such as the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI).  Building on international commercial subsea cables under development, the United States will provide an initial investment of $3 million, subject to Congressional notification, and the Administration intends to request from Congress up to $12 million to support spurs in the region to meet the demand for additional secure ICT infrastructure investments. This announcement includes an initial investment of up to $3 million, subject to Congressional approval, for a U.S. Trade and Development Agency feasibility study for the new Central Pacific Cable, which would run from Guam to American Samoa to complete the triangle with Hawaii and could connect up to an additional 12 Pacific Island countries. The United States also intends to provide an additional $2.5 million to continue U.S. support for the East Micronesia Cable in partnership with Australia and Japan, on top of our prior $20 million commitment. The cable provides digital connectivity for Kiribati, Nauru, and the state of Kosrae in the Federated States of Micronesia by linking them with the existing HANTRU-1 undersea cable that connects Guam and the Marshall Islands.