Foreign Minister Kitlang Kabua toured the US Coast Guard ship Frederick Hatch alongside US Embassy Charge Jeremiah Knight, Ambassador Junior Aini, Acting Transportation Secretary Waylon Muller, and US Embassy staff.
The US and RMI have an agreement for Maritime Surveillance and Interdiction Activities which allows RMI law enforcement officials to embark as “shipriders” aboard US Department of Defense vessels including Coast Guard vessels. In early December, the USCGC Hatch patrolled the RMI exclusive economic zone areas with one RMI Sea Patrol officer on board.
At the end of the tour, Commanding Officer Lt. Patrick Dreiss met with the Minister and thanked the Marshall Islands for its unwavering support during the surveillance mission. Kabua thanked Dreiss and his crew for the tour and for visiting the Marshall Islands.