Deputy Secretary Campbell’s Meeting with Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Puna

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell met yesterday with a high-level delegation from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) including Secretary General Henry Puna as well as the Prime Minister of Cook Islands Mark Brown. The Deputy Secretary highlighted the United States’ growing engagement in the Pacific region and ever closer U.S. relationship with the PIF, as evidenced by the U.S.-PIF Summit hosted by President Biden in Washington, D.C., in September 2023. The Deputy Secretary and Secretary General discussed deepening cooperation on a range of issues supporting the Pacific Islands Forum 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, including climate adaptation and finance via the Pacific Resilience Facility as well as U.S. support for the PIF’s Pacific Leadership Initiative.