FINKS president

New Caledonia

FINKS president snubs Kerman

The president of New Caledonia’s pro-independence move ment FLNKS snubbed Vanuatu’s prime minister, Maxime Carlot Korman, during Korman’s week-long visit to the French territory. Korman told a news conference in Port Vila he regretted not being able to meet and talk with FLNKS president Paul Neaoutyne.

Korman said he was sorry if Neaoutyne thought his (Francophone) government was against the FLNKS struggle for New Caledonia’s independence. Vanuatu’s previous government of Father Walter Lini was the principal backer of New Caledonia’s independence and had close links with the

Flnks.

But Korman described the Lini government’s stand as “interference”. He said his government supports the Matignon Accords as the basis for peace, unity and development in New Caledonia. As well, the Accords provide time to prepare New Caledonia for independence when a referendum is held on the issue in 1998.

During his six-day visit to New Caledonia Korman failed to arrange a meeting with Neaoutyne and no reasons were given for the FLNKS president’s unavailability.