The Senate President in the Northern Marianas says the Commonwealth stands ready to help the US military if it needs to utilise their lands but that they want to be kept informed about operational plans.
The military has confirmed it's interested in setting up a war exercise training ground on the island of Pagan north of Saipan.
The military is also considering using Tinian as part of potential back-up plans for the gradual transferral of 8000 marines to Guam.
Senate President Pete Reyes says the CNMI leadership was told by the military they'd be involved in the planning but that this hasn't been the case.
"We're anxious to find out what do they need so we can assess what we need to do in terms of preparation and so forth. We're part of the United States of America so we're very concerned over the national interests of the Commonwealth and the military interests in our region. We're willing to do our share."
Senate President Pete Reyes.
