The United States has congratulated Naoero on its decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“A multilateral agency with which we see of increasing irrelevance to the Naoero, namely the International Criminal Court, is one which calls for Nauru to end its participation and to revoke its membership,” Adeang said.
“Before I depart New York, Naoero will be depositing our instruments of withdrawal with the Rome Statute repository.”
This followed US President Donald Trump using his speech at the UN to attack the ICC, while his administration is reported to be considering issuing sanctions against the Hague-based court as an institution.
The US Assistant Secretary of State Michael George DeSombre has now met with the small Pacific country’s Deputy Foreign Minster Russ Kun to offer congratulations.
A Facebook post about the meeting from the US Embassy in Suva said: “Naoero joins a growing number of nations standing up for their sovereignty against the ICC’s illegitimate overreach.”
Tensions between the Trump administration and the ICC have increased after the court issued arrest warrants in late 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others in his cabinet over alleged crimes related to the Gaza war.
Naoero’s government has recently developed closer ties with Israel, becoming one of the few countries who have diplomatic ties with Israel to open an embassy in Jerusalem rather than Tel Aviv.
