Panuelo and four other Micronesian presidents agree to begin withdrawing from the Forum; sources differ by a day.

What happened

Palau had already announced it was leaving. The leaders of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, the FSM, Kiribati and Palau then agreed to “initiate the formal process of withdrawing,” and Marshall Islands President David Kabua said the move was “on principle and not emotions.” The Marshall Islands Journal suggests Monday 8 February; Devpolicy dates the communiqué to the Tuesday.

Why it matters

The split was healed by the 2022 Suva Agreement, which brought the FSM back into the Forum.