“I asked him to start bringing investments to the commonwealth,” the governor told the Variety, referring to Martin Quinn, Australia’s new ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands as well as consul general to the CNMI and Guam.
The visiting envoy pledged to help the CNMI persuade Australian airlines to consider flying to Saipan,
Only two international airlines — Asiana and Delta — have direct flight service between Saipan, Korea and Japan, the two major markets of the local tourism industry.
Quinn, a career diplomat, was last posted to Afghanistan before his assignment to the North Pacific.
The new ambassador served as political counselor at the Australian Embassy in Seoul, South Korea; first secretary in Jakarta, Indonesia; and third secretary in Bangkok, Thailand.
He also served as foreign policy adviser at the Asia Pacific Civil-Military Center of Excellence.
He succeeded former Ambassador Susan Cox who was recalled to Canberra.
The governor said his meeting with Quinn was very cordial though brief.
He said he stressed to the ambassador how Pacific nations and islands can help each other.
“One very interesting issue that I brought during our discussion was that we are all together in the Pacific. Our experience with foreign governments would not be the same if we get together as a region and develop our regional economy,” the governor said.
“We’ve always been under colonialism so to speak. We are all from here so we don’t need to be colonized. If we can all collaborate, our regional economy would be much better. Strategize against colonial powers,” he added.
A number of Australian firms regularly export goods and services to Guam and the Northern Marianas.
