[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23649]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    THE PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM'S MESSAGE OF SUPPORT TO THE PEOPLE OF 
           AMERICAN SAMOA IN AFTERMATH OF DEVASTATING TSUNAMI

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA

                           of american samoa

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 6, 2009

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I submit the following message of 
support from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of Australia as Chair of the 
Pacific Islands Forum in response to the massive tsunami that struck 
American Samoa on Tuesday, September 29, 2009.

                                               September 30, 2009.
       On behalf of the membership of the Pacific Islands Forum, I 
     wish to formally convey our deepest condolences to Samoa, 
     American Samoa and Tonga for the tragic loss of life as a 
     consequence of the tsunami that struck on the morning of 29 
     September. Our prayers go out to all of those families who 
     have lost loved ones and those injured or displaced by this 
     tragic event.
       I am confident that the Pacific family will do all it can 
     to support the relief efforts in Samoa, American Samoa and 
     Tonga.
       As Chair of the Forum, I urge the broader international 
     community to mobilise in support of the relief and recovery 
     efforts and long term reconstruction of the villages and 
     infrastructure devastated by the impacts of both the tsunami 
     and the earthquake.
                                                       Kevin Rudd,
     Chair.

                          ____________________