Deputy Secretary Kurt Campbell’s Visit to the Kingdom of Tonga

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell travelled to the Kingdom of Tonga from August 27 to 28 to lead the U.S. delegation to the 53^rd Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting, hosted by Tonga and chaired by the Prime Minister of Tonga, the Hon. Hu‘akavemeiliku Siaosi Sovaleni. Deputy Secretary Campbell also engaged Pacific Island leaders on the margins of the event to discuss how the United States has worked to deliver on shared priorities, as outlined in the Pacific Islands Forum 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and the U.S. Pacific Partnership Strategy.

On August 28, Deputy Secretary Campbell participated in the PIF Dialogue Partners Roundtable hosted by the PIF Secretariat, along with like-minded partners in the region, including fellow members of the Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP) Canada, Germany, Japan, Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom. He reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to engage its Pacific neighbors to preserve an open, secure, and prosperous Pacific region.

Deputy Secretary Campbell met with Prime Minister Hu‘akavemeiliku of Tonga to discuss opportunities for deepening U.S.-Tonga cooperation, including via the opening of a new consular space at Embassy Nuku’alofa.  The two sides engaged in a warm discussion on key priorities in the U.S.-Tonga bilateral relationship, and on a range of shared global and regional issues.  Prime Minister Hu‘akavemeiliku welcomed the opening of a pilot program to provide in-person interviews for non-immigrant visa applicants at Embassy Nuku‘alofa and reaffirmed his support for strengthened bilateral relations between the United States and Tonga.

Deputy Secretary Campbell also met with other Pacific Islands Forum leaders participating in the PIF Leaders Meeting, including PIF Secretary General Baron Waqa, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape, Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon, President of Palau Surangel Whipps Jr., President of the Federated States of Micronesia Wesley Simina, President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands Hilda Heine, Prime Minister of Fiji Sitiveni Rabuka, Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese, and Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Jeremiah Manele. He also met with Japan’s Special Envoy Komura Masahiro, the United Kingdom’s Minister for the Indo-Pacific Catherine West, and the People’s Republic of China Special Envoy for Pacific Island Country Affairs Qian Bo. Deputy Secretary Campbell and the leaders discussed shared priorities and areas for cooperation. They reaffirmed our shared belief that strengthening the partnership between the U.S. and the Pacific Islands Countries (PICs) is critical for peace, security, human rights, democracy, and stability in the Pacific region.

Deputy Secretary Campbell’s visit to the Kingdom of Tonga represents the latest in a series of high-level visits to the region by senior U.S. officials. The visit has deepened U.S. engagement with the Pacific Islands, building on the momentum and goodwill established by the September 2023 U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Summit in Washington, D.C, as well as the 13^th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC) hosted by Hawai‘i in June 2024.