18 Oct 2023

Marshall Islands and U.S sign major deal

From , 6:03 am on 18 October 2023
US President Joe Biden (C) stands for a group photo with Pacific Islands Forum leaders following the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Summit, at the South Portico of the White House in Washington, DC, on September 25, 2023 (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP)

US President Joe Biden, center, stands for a group photo with Pacific Islands Forum leaders following the Pacific Islands Forum Summit, at the South Portico of the White House in Washington on September 25, 2023. Photo: Jim Watson

Negotiators from the Marshall Islands and the United States have finally signed off on their COMPACT III deal which is one of three 20 year multi-billion-dollar funding arrangements that Washington has with countries in Micronesia.

The other two states Palau and Federated States of Micronesia signed their agreements earlier this year.

But Marshall Islands has a unique bilateral relationship with the US given the superpower's legacy of nuclear weapons testing in its islands.

RNZ Pacific Editor Koroi Hawkins spoke with RNZ Pacific's correspondent in the Marshall Islands Giff Johnson shortly after the signing ceremony in Hawaii.