902 talks letter to Biden possibly sent in April
Gov. Arnold I. Palacios said Thursday that he and Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang are probably going to send a letter this April to President Joe Biden for their request to hold 902 talks between the CNMI and U.S. governments.
“We hope we get a good discussion,” said Palacios in an interview after a panel discussion called “Konbetsasion: Understanding the Covenant” at the Guma’ Hustisia’s Assembly Hall last week.
The governor said that, as Pete A. Tenorio stated during the panel discussion, issues have to very important and impactful at 902 discussions.
Tenorio, who was one of the 13 members of the Marianas Political Status Commission that negotiated the Covenant, was among the panelists in the Kobetsasion organized by CNMI courts.
Palacios agreed with Tenorio that there were several 902 discussions before that were practically useless because the U.S. responded that “those are issues that you need to address.”
The governor said immigration issues, 702 funding issues, how to integrate with the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal government policies will be critical, “but you don’t want to have a whole menu of things.”
“You’ve got to be very strategic about it and some of these things needs to be brought up in Congress eventually,” Palacios said.
He said they are looking at different lawyers who have experience in 902 talks and critical issues to be part of the team.
Palacios said the original plan was for him to put together different issues that have to be submitted to Biden for consideration. He said different sectors of the community advocated that the 902 team “should do this and that.”
Palacios said he agrees with Tenorio that the 902 talks is not a mechanism where you just throw in a host of issues; the issues have to very impactful and meaningful, as this is a serious process with certain protocols.
The Covenant that created the unique relationship between the CNMI and the United States provides for the 902 talks every 10 years—if either government calls for it to consult on issues affecting their relationship.

Arnold I. Palacios
-By Ferdie de la Torre//Reporter