US President Joe Biden has decided to recognize the sovereignty of the Pacific states of the Cook Islands and Niue. He recalled during the summit of the United States and the Pacific island countries, which was held on Thursday in Washington, that Washington’s partnership with these countries and territories contributed to the victory over Japan in World War II and the cessation of hostilities in the Pacific region.

He stressed that “much of history will be written in the coming years in the Indo-Pacific.” While declaring the recognition of the Cook Islands and Niue as two sovereign states, he further reaffirmed his desire to successfully conclude free union negotiations with Washington’s partners in the region, namely the United States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau.

Biden indicated that the United States looks forward to working with countries in the region to fight climate change, pointing out that it poses a threat to the existence of these countries. The Cook Islands and Niue are two self-governing island nations in free union with New Zealand, located in the Polynesia region of the South Pacific.