Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Insular Affairs Carmen Cantor said she recognizes the importance of The White House 902 talks that CNMI Gov. Arnold Palacios requested in April.

At a recent House Natural Resources Committee Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee hearing, CNMI Del. Gregorio Sablan asked Cantor for an update on the critical talks.

“The Marianas economy has never recovered from COVID. Last week, one of our crown jewel hotels, a Hyatt, announced permanent closure,” Sablan explained.

Cantor responded, “I am aware that Governor Palacios sent a letter to President Biden and I received a copy of the letter. Governor Palacios and I actually spoke on the phone late last week. We are in the process of waiting for the White House to determine who the representative is going to be for these consultations. But we know that this is very important to the CNMI government.”

Palacios has yet to name the individuals who will represent the CNMI in the talks.

In his letter to The White House, Palacios said he would like to focus on three issues: direct financial assistance under Section 702 of the Covenant; tourism and transportation infrastructure; and access to skilled labor.

Section 902 of NMI’s Covenant says the U.S. and NMI governments will “consult regularly on all matters affecting the relationship between them.”