Today, Governor Ralph DLG. Torres met with U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) Director of Policy, Mr. Basil Ottley, to discuss the CNMI’s current state of recovery after natural disasters, the global pandemic, and opportunities for growth of the CNMI’s economy and conservation of environments.
Director Ottley congratulated Governor Torres and the CNMI for efforts to revitalize the economy after the global pandemic. Director Ottley specifically highlighted the CNMI and Korea TRIP program as well as the amount of observable business activity in the NMI.
Director Ottley also commended the CNMI on their recent presentation at the Territorial Climate Infrastructure Workshop that took place in Honolulu, Hawaii this past March. The delegation that represented the Marianas included representatives from various CNMI government departments and agencies, who presented on both the needs and progress of the CNMI in regard to topics of water, built and natural infrastructure, broadband, energy, and legacy pollution.
“We at (DOI-OIA) talked about the great representation and quality of the presentations by team NMI. The other territories were also praising your administration’s presence and presentation throughout,” said Director Basil Ottley.
Governor Torres thanked Director Ottley for taking the time to visit the CNMI and to see, firsthand, the changes and progress being made, as well as the work that still needs to be done to build resilient infrastructure while preserving the natural environment. Specifically, Governor Torres and Director Ottley discussed the opportunities that the OIA has available to support critical priorities regarding water and coral reef management, especially given impacts in land and water environments due to climate change.
“I’ve built a strong relationship with the federal family over the past seven years, and I look forward to our continued partnership with DOI,” said Governor Torres.
###
