President Wesley Simina's Visit to Yap and CEC+1 Meeting: Unity and Agreements

On September 3, 2023, the President of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), HE Wesley Simina, visited the State of Yap as part of his rounds of State Visits to all four FSM states. He was accompanied by Edsmond Moses, Speaker of the 23rd FSM Congress, Vice Speaker Robson Romolow, Floor Leader Quincy Lawrence, Senator Peter Christian, and their delegation.

During the visit, President Simina explored various places, including the Northern road, the Mangyol World Heritage Site in Makiy, Gagil, and the FSM Fishery and Maritime Institute (FMI), where he met with students and teachers.

He also took a tour of the western part of the island, stopping at Yap-CLS (Fiber Optic Cable Landing Station) in Milew and the historical site featuring a Japanese WWII plane at the Old Airport. The last stop was in Ngariy in Rull, where he visited the newly rebuilt Men's House called Galas.

The President also had meetings with the Yap Women’s Association, the Neighboring Islands Women’s Association, and visited Yap Catholic High School where the MicSem Library is located. He also checked out the ongoing construction site at Yap International Airport and visited Tomilang Elementry School where he was greeted by the students, staff, and community members.

On September 4, 2023, during a State Leadership Meeting at the Yap State legislature chambers, President Simina emphasized his administration's commitment to "Unity" as the cornerstone of his administration’s work in the FSM. He stressed the importance of unity in serving all the people in the FSM.

The President's State Visit coincided with the Chief Executive Council plus one (CEC+1) meeting, which included all four FSM State Governors and Speakers, as well as the President of the FSM and the Speaker of the 23rd Congress. They discussed various topics, including the distribution formula for the FSM and constitutional amendments on the fishing license fees.

After a week of discussions, on September 8, 2023, the 4 Governors and the President signed the final communiques, marking the agreements and outcomes of the CEC+1 meeting, and named the official documents as the "Arngel Formula." Moving forward this document has laid the groundwork for the FSM’s distribution formula for the next 20 years.