the austra

Jemima Garrett

France in front to see dawn of a new century

NEVER, at any stage in the last decade, have Australia’s relations with France been as good.

That state of affairs is largely due to the more co-operative approach France has adopted in the South Pacific.

Although France continues its nuclear testing program at Moruroa Atoll in the face of universal regional condemnation, it has also made some huge steps forward.

The most obvious example is New Caledonia, where in 1988, the new Socialist government of Michel Rocard brought an end to a state of near civil war by bringing the territories pro-and anti-independence forces together to sign the Matignon Peace Accord.

Until then France had been seen by many, including many in Australia, as the major destabilising influence in the

region.

With the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior she had been responsible for the most notorious case of state-sponsored terrorism an act which, to make matters worse, took place in the harbour of a friendly nation.

In New Caledonia the Chirac government’s divisive policies had caused bitterness and bloodshed as well as an opening for unwelcome outside influences, such as that of

Libya.

Thus, the Matignon Accord, with its planned 10-year cooling off period and its promise of money and training to assist New Caledonia’s indigenous Kanak regions catch up with the wealthy European-dominated South, was hailed by Australia and the others around the region, as a tremendous

breakthrough.

The success of the Matignon accord marked the beginning of a more co-operative approach to the region in general.

Since then the three French territories (New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna) have been allowed much more freedom in their relations with the independent states.

France has sponsored a series of top level political visits, it has upped its aid and even made a token attempt to provide more information on the atomic tests.

In many ways the change in France’s approach looks like a revolution. But not to the respected Parisian academic, Professor Jean Chesneaux.

He told a recent conference at the Australian National University that France’s relations with the Pacific are still dominated by its image of itself as a worldwide, mid-sized power.

France, with its network of territories spread across the globe, is now the only power of which it can still be said, in true colonial fashion, that the sun never sets.

Chesneaux says France’s need to maintain its worldwide holdings remains an unquestioned article offaith.

France’s outgoing Ambassador to Australia, Roger Duzer, goes further. He says after two centuries of involvement in the region France has a “duty” to maintain her world policy.

In a new, more conciliatory tone, France is claiming a right

to be part of the region well into the next century.

Despite new commitments in eastern Europe and to the upcoming single European market, France is greatly increasing its involvement in the South Pacific.

Mr Duzer says that, by the year 2000, France plans to boost its financial assistance to A 53.5 billion annually; up from just under As 2 billion at the moment.

At the same time France has other new interests in the region.

Three quarters ofFrance’s ocean resources lie within the 200-mile exclusive economic zones of its South Pacific territories, and France is keen to be at the forefront of any exploitation of the region’s rich seabed minerals.

Paris also has its eye on the South Pacific’s potential as a key site for new communications and space related

technologies.

Like many other nations, France wants to be a part of the action at the dawn of the much talked of Pacific century. At present its only toehold in the wider Asia-Pacific region is through the islands.

While France does not want to contemplate the independence of its Pacific territories it would, according to Mr Duzer, accept that option if necessary.

At the moment only New Caledonia’s Kanaks, a minority in their own country, are fiercely pro-independence. In French Polynesia, however, with its much bigger indigenous population, there is a growing groundswell for more autonomy. In the next decade both movements are likely to grow.

With the current bi-partisan support for the Matignon Accord in Paris, France is now showing signs of being flexible enough to make the transition to the role of post-colonial power.

And it is preparing the ground for any eventuality.

Since the coups in Fiji it has taken the opportunity to greatly increase its assistance there, particularly to the

military.

Despite the obvious vacuum left after Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Britain withdrew their military cooperation, Mr Duzer was quick to deny the move was an opportunistic one.

In other areas France wants to become a vital part of the region’s infrastructure. It has offered to conduct surveillance flights over the independent nation’s exclusive economic zones an option the Cook Islands is taking up.

Paris is increasing its technical and scientific assistance, particularly on agricultural and environmental issues; it is offering training at the new French University of the South Pacific and is expanding its role in disaster relief.

Despite its new co-operative approach France will not be accepted as a genuine partner until it has proved itself.

At the recent Australian National University conference on France in the Pacific, John Trotter, a principal advisor to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, warned

France against becoming too complacent.

Speaking in his personal capacity he said New Caledonia, with its referendum on self-determination in 1998, would be the test ofFrance’s policies.

There as elsewhere, he said, countries of the Pacific would be looking at how energetically, consistently and effectively France’s new policies were implemented before making a

judgement. □