CNMI Governor Arnold I. Palacios met with Dr. Ely S. Ratner (right), the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs at the Pentagon to talk about military activities in the CNMI, building resiliency, and other topics. Also in the meeting was Ms. Rebecca Zimmerman, who is performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs. Along with other governors, Governor Palacios was in Washington D.C. last week for the 2024 senior plenary of the Interagency Group on Insular Areas organized by the U.S. Department of Interior – Office of Insular Affairs.
The event remains one of the important platforms for territorial governors to amplify local issues and perspectives by communicating them directly to the White House and federal agencies.
