Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, died June 5 at age 93 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. The President had a historic role with the formal establishment of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the Compact of Free Association for the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). Both were previously districts of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI).

On Nov. 4, 1986, Mr. Reagan signed the executive order granting all Northern Marianas residents American citizenship. For the past 17 years, the CNMI marked every 4th of November as "Citizenship Day," a local holiday.

President Reagan also signed the FSM and RMI Compact of Free Association into law on January l4, l986 (Public Law 99-239). The Compact’s enforcement dates for the Marshall Islands began on October 2l, l986, and on November 3, 1986, for the FSM (see Presidential Proclamation No. 5564).

Under the Compact, the status of free association recognizes the FSM and the RMI as sovereign states with the capacity to conduct foreign affairs consistent with the terms of the Compact. The Compact places full responsibility for their defense with the United States.

As the late President wrote in section 3(b) of the Proclamation, "I am gratified that the people of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, after nearly forty years of Trusteeship, have freely chosen to establish a relationship of Free Association with the United States."