Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia

Speaker Figir meets with and donates to FSM students in China

Palikir, Pohnpei (FSM Congress): February 3, 2011 - Speaker Isaac V. Figir of the Sixteenth Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia has met with FSM students studying in China and donated 1,000 to the FSM Students Organizations in China.

The FSM Embassy in Beijing has informed Congress in a press statement that on January 29, 2011, Ambassador Akillino H. Susaia hosted a dinner reception at the Golden Jaguar in honor of the visit by Speaker Figir and Legislative Counsel T. Lam Dang. Speaker Figir and Legislative Counsel Lam Dang, transited in Beijing after attending the 19th Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

The Embassy took the opportunity to invite FSM students studying in China under the Chinese Government scholarship program to attend the dinner reception and to have an opportunity to meet with Speaker Figir and LC Mr. Lam Dang. A total of six students studying in Beijing and one from Nanjing were present.

After listening to the students from their brief introductions, Speaker Figir expressed his appreciation of the Chinese Government Scholarship and acknowledged the strong relationship that FSM has with China. Giving the students a brief background on the importance of the FSM-China model relationship, the Speaker encouraged the students to work hard in school so that they may contribute to the overall development of the FSM.

Speaker Figir underscored the fact that the nation's most important resource is its human resources and therefore expects and encourages each student to study and utilize their scholarship to the fullest.

The evening's dinner reception touched upon many issues of concerns for the students. While most of the topics and questions addressed school and scholarship related issues, other topics and issues of interest were discussed such as the upcoming FSM General Elections in March and especially the proposed constitutional amendments.

To close the formal part of the reception Speaker Figir expressed his appreciation of the occasion to meet with these FSM students in China by donating $1,000.00 to the two FSM student organizations based in Beijing and Wuhan.