OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
PRESS RELEASE
(for immediate release – May 3, 2007)
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Lieutenant Governor Ipulasi Aitofele Sunia to attend Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders meeting in Washington DC

(UTULEI) – Lieutenant Governor Ipulasi Aitofele Sunia will travel tonight to attend the 8th Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders (PICL) in Washington DC that will begin on Monday, May 7th.

Governor Togiola Tulafono announced last month that Lieutenant Governor Ipulasi will represent American Samoa at the PICL meeting so that he can remain in the Territory to attend funeral services next week for Sgt. Raymond Seva’aetasi, who died in Iraq on April 11th.

The Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders is held every three years and is hosted by the East-West Center with the support of the State Department. The PICL brings together the heads of government and senior officials from the Pacific, including from Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific Territories. This is the first time the meeting is being held in the nation’s capital.

Opening remarks at the conference will be given by Secretary of State – Dr, Condoleeza Rice.

The U.S. interagency delegation to the Conference includes representatives from the Department of State, Department of Defense, U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Coast Guard, Peace Corps, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation.