On Monday in Tuvalu, a small island state in Oceania, parliament nominated Feleti Teo, a former attorney general, as prime minister. Previous Prime Minister Kausea Natano was not re-elected in January’s parliamentary elections. Natano had been a supporter of Tuvalu’s relations with Taiwan, which is internationally recognized by only 12 states, and it was initially thought that a politician more inclined to close ties with China (which claims sovereignty over Taiwan, and refuses to have relationships with anyone who recognizes him). The Taiwanese ambassador to Tuvalu instead says he has received reassurances from the new prime minister on the stability of relations between the two countries.
Teo, 61, was elected unanimously by the 16 members of Tuvalu’s parliament. There are no political parties in the country. He previously served as attorney general of Tuvalu and executive director of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, an international body that regulates fishing in parts of Oceania, where it is an important source of income. Tuvalu is made up of 4 coral islands and 5 atolls (volcanic islands): Teo’s nomination was delayed by bad weather, which prevented some parliamentarians from reaching the island on which the capital, Funafuti, is located by boat.
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