Samoa’s Consul General Auseugaefa bids farewell

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After 3 ½ years as Samoa’s Consul Generall in American Samoa, Auseugaefa Vaasatia Poloma Komiti bids farewell to the territory, leaving for a new diplomatic posting in Australia.

He has been appointed as Samoa’s next consul general in Australia, based in Sydney.

Auseugaefa is the second consul general at the Samoa office in Fagatogo since it was opened in 2006.

The consulate was established not only to assist Samoan citizens here with passports, birth, marriage, death certificates and immigration matters but primarily to issue entry permits for US nationals from Americna Samoa to visit Samoa.

The Samoa Government official said it was envisioned at the time that American Samoa would open an office in Apia to facilitate the issuance of permits for Samoan citizens to travel here.

American Samoa was given prime land on the hills of Vailima in a land exchange with Samoa to be used for such an office.

Samoa’s land near the Office of Procurement is being used by a taxi stand until Samoa is ready to build a new consulate, as Auseugaefa explains.

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Auseugaefa ‘s successor is Fonoti Manogiamanu Ioane who is presently Samoa’s Consul General in Sydney.

Fonoti, an architect by profession, was CEO of the last Pacific Games in Samoa in 2007.