The U.

S.

Department of State Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP) announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to the Diplomatic Training Program for the U.

S.

Freely Associated States (Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall

credit:

Islands, and Republic of Palau).

Under the Compacts of Free Association, the United States invests significant resources into the U.

S.

Freely Associated States (FAS), to include building the capacity of their public sectors.

FAS governments have identified diplomatic capacity—or the ability of diplomats from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and Republic of Palau to advocate effectively on behalf of their governments in the global arena—as a sector that needs strengthening.

Officials from the FSM, RMI, and Palau have repeatedly pressed the Department of State to offer training for new diplomats, similar to courses offered to them by the United States in the 1990s.

This project was created to address the ongoing need for a diplomatic training program for FAS government officials.

It will not only bolster a key public sector for these U.

S.

partners, but also enhance our close bilateral relationships with these strategically-located Pacific countries.