Issues and concerns regarding air transportation between the CNMI and Guam topped the agenda of the Mariana Islands Legislature Association’s 2nd General Assembly at the Guam Congress Building on Wednesday.
Guam Speaker Therese Terlaje, who presided over the meeting, said the first item on their agenda was transportation as selected by the lawmakers themselves.
She then asked Saipan Chamber of Commerce board member Alex Sablan to make a presentation on a proposed “open skies” transport agreement.
Sablan, who was accompanied by Chamber President Joe C. Guerrero, said they, the CNMI private sector, “are thankful that our legislators have come together to have this conversation.”
He remembered that 11 years ago, the first MILA assembly resulted in a trade agreement that allowed the transportation of cattle between CNMI and Guam.
“So, to the detractors out there, it is important that we all come together and have a conversation like this,” he said. “We may not have all the answers today, but I think putting the first foot forward to … talk about systemic issues that affect all of us in the Marianas is a good thing,” Sablan said.
For his part, CNMI Senate Vice President Donald Manglona said it was a privilege to be in the assembly and see Marianas legislators “join forces in addressing the issues that impact our beloved Marianas.”
“The discussions we embark on today are crucial not just for our individual territories but for the collective future of the Marianas,” he said.
“With this continuous engagement and proactive collaboration, it is essential to make lasting progress and we look forward to frequent assemblies and ongoing dialogues to achieve our shared goals. So together we can create a brighter, more prosperous future for our Marianas,” he added.
CNMI House Floor Leader Edwin Propst said they were there to discuss regional issues affecting all of them in the Marianas. The outcome of the meeting, he said, “benefits us all when we are able to achieve affordable transportation between our islands.”
But he said as excited as they were to hold the conference, “we have to withstand a lot of criticism.”
“But we do hope to remind our critics … that … this conference [or] this travel was made possible through an Office of Insular Affairs grant and if we did not use it, we will lose it. We felt that this is the right investment to make in meeting with the leaders of Guam and with ourselves,” he added.
Propst said with the Marianas labeled as the “tip of the spear when it comes to the defense of the U.S. and its territories [amid] growing regional threats and tension coming from China, we must have these regular meetings.” He mentioned the ongoing construction of a divert airfield on Tinian, “which puts every one of us in the Marianas at risk if a war, God forbid, breaks out. We pray that that never happens, but we must always be prepared, said Propst.