A number of issues were raised between leaders of Samoa and American Samoa during the Inter Samoa Talks held in Apia on Friday.
IMMIGRATIONS
/LEGAL ISSUES
Samoa has once again asked American Samoa (AS) to extend the validity of their CI’s from six-months to 12 months to comply with international travel requirements. This issue was raised in the last talks, however still no noticeable change from AS who have again agreed to look into this.
Samoa has also asked AS to provide a list of all requirements for the processing of travel using CI’s in order to comply with American Samoa’s expectations.
All passengers traveling to AS on Samoan passports have their passports seized at the point of entry (airport/wharf), and the passports are not returned to them until the border officials have sighted the original entry permit from the AS
Attorney General’s office. “There have been incidences where passports have been lost, this treatment is unfair and our (Samoa) people are made to feel inferior.”
AS has offered to remove its fee on their 14 day entry permit, they would like Samoa to do the same and AS would like to look at removing all other immigration permit related fees between the two Samoa’s.
Samoa is the current Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and has encouraged AS to accept an invitation for membership that was extended to them recently.
MUTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE
It was decided at the 2012 talks that there would be an exchange programme between the Office of the Attorney General from AS and Samoa.
It’s unclear as to what this exchange programme between the two countries is and how it would progress. Both countries are keen to see this develop and have agreed to discuss this further.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Issues of interest to American Samoa, includes a new fiber optic undersea cable; cheaper call rates between the two Samoa’s and details of the new fiber optic cable have yet to be received. Cheaper call rates between the two Samoa’s would be an issue between the two telecom providers and would not be something that Samoa would overly intervene in since government privatized the telecom sector.
ENERGY/UTILITIES/INFRASTRUCTURE
The two Samoa’s are continuing the research and develop renewable energy options and there is an interest from AS regarding what is being done.
Samoa has an ambitious and challenging plan for renewable, energy development to be 100% renewable by 2018 and Samoa continues to make progress in solar, wind and even bio gasification.
“Samoa is willing to share this information and is interested in AS exploration of geothermal energy. Samoa would like to know if this study could be extended to include Samoa to find out if geothermal energy is a safe feasible source of electricity for Savai’i.” American Samoa Power Authority is to extend its study into geothermal energy to include Samoa.
TRANSPORT
Samoa Shipping Services expressed concern over the inconvenience experienced in American Samoa, when their vessels have been charted by American Samoa to provide emergency shipping services to Manu’a.
“In the spirit of cooperation Samoa Shipping responds as soon as possible by dispatching a vessel but has to wait 24hours for clearance to be granted which is unreasonable given the request for the use of the vessel came from American Samoa in the first place.”
TOURISM
Samoa Tourism Authority met with the American Samoa Visitors Bureau Director and identified a number of on going issues for continued engagement. Leading these were opportunities for joint marketing and information sharing and both sides also recognized that there were opportunities for capacity building and training in the two Samoa’s that officers from both organizations could participate.
SPORTS
American Samoa is again raising the issue of the Samoa games, which has been reoccurring topic of the two Samoa talks with no clear outcomes eventuating.
DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
There was no report on the statement of outcome for the joint disaster preparedness.
*Joyetter Luamanu is a Samoa News reporter who was in Apia to cover the Inter-Samoa Talks.
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