By Bernadette H. Carreon
Horizon news staff

President Remengesau will leave Palau on May 5 to attend the Pacific Island Conference of Leaders meeting in Washington D.C.
The conference is a gathering of Pacific and United States leaders and the US State Department and the East-West Center, will host the conference in Washington on May 7-8.
Invited to attend the conference are heads of government of 23 Pacific states and territories, including US territories.
The conference will include sessions with senior officials from the departments of state and defense as well as the office of the US Trade Representative.
The president at the same time will attend an annual economic consultation meeting in Washington following the conference.
The conference is aimed at creating a venue for the leaders and learn about the policy making process in Washington.
Earlier, Glyn Davies, Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs before the subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment House Committee on Foreign Affairs said that the conference will also include representatives of "like-minded" donor nations for parallel consultations.
Davies said this is the first time that the State and the East-West Center have co-hosted a PICL and the first time the meeting will take place in Washington.
Pacific leaders will have an opportunity to meet with officials from the Department of State, Defense, Interior, Commerce,USAID and the U.S. Trade representatives .
Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice will also meet with the leaders to discuss forging of a closer political, economic and cultural ties with the Pacific nation.