U.S. Boosts Pacific Ties at Islands Forum

The United States is a Pacific nation and has long stood with our Pacific friends and neighbors to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Our commitment to the security and prosperity of the Pacific Islands is steadfast, enduring, and a key pillar of our America First Foreign Policy.

On September 1, at the Pacific Islands Forum Partners Dialogue in Palau, Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau announced over $150 million in U.S. support for Pacific Islands. He delivered this message directly to our partners, engaging with Pacific Islands leaders and ministers to reinforce the depth and durability of U.S. partnerships in the region and announcing new U.S.-funded projects and investments in the Pacific Islands that aim to deliver economic prosperity and security for Americans and Pacific Islanders.

The United States' continued participation in the Pacific Islands Forum reflects the importance we place on the Pacific Islands as a vital part of the Indo-Pacific region. When the Pacific Islands are stable, secure and prosperous, the United States is too. Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio's leadership, we are prioritizing commercial diplomacy and reorienting our foreign assistance programs in the Pacific around championing U.S. enterprise and investments in enabling infrastructure that supports private sector-led economic growth.

Ensuring Energy Security

• Regional Energy Security Initiative: Working with Congress, the Department intends to provide $60 million to help Pacific Islands countries address the ongoing global energy crisis, including expanding fuel storage capacity and supporting grid stability.

• Fuel Supply Infrastructure for Tonga: The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), with funding from the U.S. Department of State, will strengthen fuel supply reliability and energy security through a feasibility study to upgrade Tonga's port facilities, fuel storage capacity, pipeline infrastructure and market-oriented regulatory practices.

Building Critical Infrastructure

• Palau Hospital Relocation: The United States, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, along with Taiwan as a key partner of Palau, will support the development and operation of a new, modern hospital facility, subject to the outcomes of the project feasibility study, ensuring it meets the long-term health and infrastructure needs of the Palauan people. This partnership demonstrates our enduring commitment to Pacific partners and to the shared development principles that underpin a resilient and prosperous region.

• Upgrading Penrhyn (Omoka) Port: The U.S. Department of State, working with Congress and in partnership with New Zealand and the Cook Islands, intends to upgrade the Penrhyn atoll's Omoka Port. This project builds on the Critical Minerals Framework the United States and the Cook Islands signed in February 2026 and will deliver safety and security benefits and expand transport links and economic opportunities for the Cook Islands and American people.

• Strengthening Transportation Linkages in the Marshall Islands: USTDA has approved funding for technical assistance for the Marshall Islands Ports Authority to help modernize the country's two primary ports: Majuro and Ebeye. The project's goals are to increase freight capacity, improve port efficiency, and strengthen supply chain reliability. USTDA has also approved funding for technical assistance to help modernize the Amata Kabua International Airport, including airfield and terminal facilities. The assistance will address anticipated growth and operational improvements over a 20-year horizon and facilitate aviation partnership opportunities for U.S. industry.

Expanding Commercial Diplomacy

• Second Pacific Investment Summit: The inaugural U.S.-Pacific Islands Investment Summit at the East-West Center in Honolulu in February 2026 generated several successful economic opportunities and business deals for U.S. and Pacific Islands businesses across several sectors including infrastructure, critical minerals, supply chains, energy, tourism, food security, financial services, and the digital economy. To continue to foster U.S.-Pacific Islands private sector connections and investments, the United States intends to support a second summit to be held in early 2027.

Promoting Trusted Digital Technology

• Data Center Infrastructure for Tonga: USTDA, with funding from the U.S. Department of State, is supporting a feasibility study to modernize Tonga's national data center and network, enabling secure, resilient hosting for government systems and public services. The study advances a broader U.S. effort to build Tonga's digital infrastructure on trusted American technology, alongside State Department support for secure cloud migration.

• Mobile Network Modernization for the Marshall Islands: USTDA, with funding from the U.S. Department of State, will provide technical assistance to support the modernization of the nationwide mobile network in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The assistance will identify optimal technology options, financing pathways and implementation strategies for the Marshall Islands National Telecommunications Authority.

• Cloud Global Pacific Program: The U.S. Department of State plans to expand upon successful programming in Tonga and Palau to accelerate additional Pacific Island governments' adoption of resilient cloud-based technologies. Adopting trusted cloud services expands the digital economy, creates opportunities for economic prosperity, strengthens cybersecurity, and increases operational continuity.

• Secure Telecom Regulation and Digital Transformation Programs in the Pacific Islands: S. Department's Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy (CDP) has funded a series of programs, coordinated by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP), to strengthen ICT regulatory capacity, expand digital infrastructure, and modernize regulatory and licensing models, including a PNG Secure ICT Investment Screening Workshop and Pacific Islands Telecom Regulator Workshop, and Study Tour. Additionally, CDP led the U.S.-Pacific Islands Digital Transformation Accelerator conference, held alongside the Pacific Islands Telecom Regulators' Forum, generating 32 matchmaking sessions between U.S. technology companies and PIC governments, advancing potential leads for U.S. AI exports and digital sector investment.

Advancing Law Enforcement Cooperation and Maritime Security

• S.-Pacific Islands Conference of Police Ministers (COPMIN): The United States and Palau will co-chair the inaugural U.S.-Pacific Islands Conference of Police Ministers (COPMIN). COPMIN will focus on maritime security, drug trafficking, and cybercrime, and illicit finance.

• Pacific Regional IUU Fishing Project: The U.S. Department of State, working with Congress, plans to provide $17 million to counter illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Pacific Islands, focused on legal support to update national laws, policies, and regulations to align to regional IUU fishing strategic objectives, develop compliance officer capacity through certified training programs, and deploy new technologies to increase non-human monitoring capacity.

Deepening Scientific and Technical Cooperation

• Seabed Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization: The U.S. Department of State, working with Congress, plans to provide support for seabed mapping, exploration, and characterization to inform Pacific Island government decision making on potential seabed minerals development within national jurisdiction and related national regulatory frameworks.

• Drinking Water Sampling Project: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with Taiwan, will work with Palau to conduct a comprehensive drinking water sampling project on the island's drinking water sources and wells. The project will also provide training for Palau drinking water operators and environmental lab regulatory staff on proper sampling and logistical techniques.

Expanding People to People Ties

• Peace Corps Letter of Intent to Return to Compact of Free Association Nations: The Peace Corps has signed a letter of intent to establish the North Pacific program with the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. This step builds on decades of partnership: more than 4,400 Volunteers served in Micronesia and Palau between 1966 and 2018, and more than 140 served in the Marshall Islands from 1966 to 1996. The agency completed its re-opening of Peace Corps/Palau in July 2026.