May 16 2024
How the Renewed Compacts of Free Association Support U.S. Economic, National Security, and Climate Goals
The Compacts of Free Association (COFAs) grant the United States unfettered, exclusive military access to a strategic area in the Indo-Pacific, allow Freely Associated States (FAS) citizens to live and work in the United States and its territories as lawful non-immigrants, and provide economic support and security assistance for the FAS. The COFAs govern the relationships between the United States and the three sovereign nations collectively known as the FAS: the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and the Republic of Palau. In March 2024, President Biden and the U.S. Congress affirmed this relationship for the next 20 years by renewing the COFAs and providing $7.1 billion in economic assistance agreements.
By renewing the COFAs, the United States affirms its relationships with the FAS, asserting a strategic position in the Indo-Pacific region to deter Chinese government influence and provide economic assistance for health care, education, infrastructure, the environment, and climate change adaptation. This benefits not only the FAS but the U.S. economy and national security as well.
By renewing the COFAs, the United States affirms its relationships with the FAS, asserting a strategic position in the Indo-Pacific region to deter Chinese government influence and provide economic assistance for health care, education, infrastructure, the environment, and climate change adaptation. This benefits not only the FAS but the U.S. economy and national security as well.