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PACIFIC BRIEFS Underwood stopped from speaking in Guam Legislature
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Posted on Jun 22 1999
Underwood stopped from
speaking in Guam Legislature
Guam’s delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Robert Underwood, has expressed dismay at being prevented from presenting his annual State of Guam’s Agenda in Washington before the island’s Legislature.
Underwood was told by the Speaker of the Legislature that the reason for the decision was to save $ 2,000.
In response, the Congressman said, “I’m very disappointed that the Speaker has seen fit to put a price on communication between me and the people of Guam.”
Underwood noted that more than $ 2,000 was spent on food caterers, floral arrangements, invitations and other expenses related to the opening of the current Guam legislative session.
“I think the speech is important enough to continue,” Underwood said, “I will explore other options, including working with the University of Guam,” to present a public accounting of Guam’s work in Washington.
Security issues up in
Honolulu conference
A conference on Pacific Island security issues will take place Tuesday, June 22 through Thursday, June 24 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The meeting sessions will focus on Pacific Island countries’ perspectives on security, including defense cooperation and other security relationships with regional nations and the major world powers.
The high-level conference will bring together approximately 150 senior policy makers, defense officials and academics from throughout the Pacific Islands and Asian regions and the mainland U.S.
Sponsor of the three-day conference is the Waikiki-based Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies.
The keynote speaker will be Admiral Dennis Blair, Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Area Command.
Among those scheduled to speak at other sessions are U.S. Congressmen Eni Faleomavaega from American Samoa and Robert Underwood from Guam; John Wasi of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Relations in the Solomon Islands; Peleni Talagi of the Niue Office of the Attorney General; and Toni Fonokalafi of the Tonga Defense Services.
The Director of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center, Dr. Sitiveni Halapua will chair a Wednesday session on “The Pacific Islands and the Major Powers.”
