White House talks to begin on Saipan Wednesday

The CNMI’s 902 talks with the White House start on Wednesday.

Assistant Secretary of the Interior Carmen Cantor was appointed by President Joe Biden to represent Washington in its 902 talks with the CNMI government, which start on Wednesday.

“So it is going to be a two-day meeting that we are going to be having so there are a lot of sensitive issues that still need to be worked out. So I do not want to get ahead of myself to give respect and courtesy to the federal side when they do all show up. We are going to have this conversation on how to approach, but be assured that we will give you the full story of the discussions,” said CNMI Gov. Arnold Palacios. 

This is the first time 902 talks are held on Saipan. Palacios officially requested the meeting in April. 

Section 902 of NMI’s covenant said the U.S. and NMI governments will “consult regularly on all matters affecting the relationship between them.”

In his letter to the White House, Palacios said he would like to focus on three issues: direct financial assistance under section 702 of the covenant; tourism and transportation infrastructure; and access to skilled labor.

“We do not have a lot of time for this discussion. We only have two months before we close it out and come up with an agreement. So we are going to work hard,” he said.