HONIARA (Pacnews) — The Solomon Islands government of Manasseh Sogavare is seeking special financial assistance from the U.S.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Patteson Oti made the announcement after he met with the PNG-based U.S. Ambassador to Solomon Islands Leslie Rowe.
Oti said the Sogavare government intends to seek assistance from the Millennium Challenge Corporation, or MCC, to fund development initiatives.
MCC was established by President Bush to assist developing countries in their pursuit to end poverty.
Oti said the government is now in a process of drafting a proposal to be submitted to MCC authorities in Washington later this year.
“The intention of the present government is to make a submission to the MCC and we are developing a proposal now which will take us to washing in March this year,” Oti said.
He said the proposal will be followed up when President Bush meets with Pacific island leaders in Washington in April.
Oti said the submission of the proposal will be made in June for the MCC leaders to consider in September this year.
“Because of the need to go to Washington, we have to quickly bring in the U.S. embassy to assist the government to arrange meetings in Washington. In particular we want to meet with the MCC board and certain U.S. congressmen on the matter. That was one of the most important considerations why we decided to take this trip because Ambassador Rowe is going for an ambassadors meeting in Hawaii and this is the only time we have to meet her,” Oti explained.
The MCC is an integral part of the U.S. strategy to fight poverty and to encourage economic development.
It is a special U.S. Aid Agency aimed at assisting poor countries the commit themselves to fight poverty and corruption and improve social sectors such as health and medical services.