An ASG office in Apia is back on track after land lease signed

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — It looks like plans are back in the pipeline for ASG to build an office in Samoa after a land lease was initiated in Moto’otua at the end of the Atoa o Samoa talks last week at the American Samoa Community College Multipurpose Center in Malaeimi. 

This was one of the outcomes of the summit between ASG and representatives of the Samoa Government with the leaders signing the lease agreement on Thursday, April 13, according to KVZK TV. 

Initially, the Samoa Government allocated land in Avele for the American Samoa office in the country. However, this parcel was turned down after ASG leaders determined it was too close to a yet-to-be-constructed new Chinese Embassy.

A the end of the 2nd Atoa o Samoa summit in Apia in October last year, Samoa Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataʻafa instructed the Minister for Natural Resources and Environment to look for new land in Apia.

It is understood the new Chinese Embassy building is being built not far from Avele and is directly opposite the residence of the U.S. head of mission at Vailima. Under the outcomes document released to the media after the summit last October, the ASG said it had asked for a "reconsideration of the Samoa Government in that regard.” 

Samoa and other Pacific Island nations have been at the center of geopolitical wrangling between China and the U.S. and its allies in recent years, with U.S. President Joe Biden meeting with regional leaders — including the Samoa Prime Minister in Washington D.C. in September last year.

The two-days of meetings were closed to the media and the public.