14 Sep 2009

Marshalls reappoints former Washington ambassador

12:56 pm on 14 September 2009

The Marshall Islands has re-appointed its former ambassador to the United States amid hopes this will kick-start talks on a billion dollar nuclear test compensation petition.

As politics have brought about a number of changes, the current government has named Banny deBrum to fill the Washington post which had been vacant for almost two years.

The US is the Marshall's most important ally, providing more than 60 percent of its annual budget of 137 million US dollars.

Mr deBrum had been the ambassador for 12 years until last year's change of government saw his ousting.

In the absence of a top diplomat, multi-billion dollar nuclear test compensation claims and a dispute over future American use of a missile testing range in the Marshall Islands have languished.