By Gemma Q. Casas
Variety News Staff

The Northern Marianas welcomes the election of the new president of the Federated States of Micronesia, Immanuel “Manny” Mori, and wishes him and the FSM’s new leaders “good luck.”
FSM, which is made up of the states of Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae and Yap, selected Mori as their new president during a session of the 15th FSM Congress on Friday.
Press Secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr. said Gov. Benigno R. Fitial looks forward to Mori’s participation in the next Western Micronesian Chief Executives Summit.
“As you know, we plan to host another conference in July, and this time we will expand participation to include other (Micronesian) chief executives in the region, not just those from the Western Pacific,” he added.
The CNMI hosted the seventh summit on Saipan last March.
FSM’s new vice president is Alik L. Alik of Kosrae. Yap’s Isaac V. Figir and Resio S. Moses were chosen as speaker and vice speaker while Chuuk’s Joe N. Suka was named the new floor leader.
“The governor congratulates all of the newly elected leaders of FSM, the new president and the Congress. He looks forward to establishing a good working relationship with all the leaders of FSM,” said Reyes.
Nick Benjamin, a Saipan resident who is from Pohnpei, expressed the hope that the new FSM leadership would bring much needed economic improvements to the island-nation.
Benjamin said Pohnpei is probably 20 years behind Saipan in terms of economic development and gets one plane a day — “if it is lucky.”
The FSM relies heavily on grants from the U.S. government through its Compact agreement with America.