Franco-New Zealand relations warm up

NEW Zealand foreign

minister Don McKin non’s official visit to French Polynesia ended with a reaffirmation of friendly ties between Pape’ete and Wellington, daily newspaper La Depeche de Tahi ti reported.

McKinnon, who was leading a 40strong all-party delegation for a two-day stopover as part of a Polynesian tour aboard a RNZAF Boeing, was welcomed by French Polynesian President Gaston Flosse and the French government’s repre sentative in the territory, High Commis sioner Jean Aribaud.

The New Zealand delegation also met Flosse’s sixteen-member government.

As part of the visit. New Zealand par liamentarians were guests of the French Polynesian assembly and its President Justin Arapari, who gave an address in English, welcoming the “warming up of relations between France and New Zealand which gives a new strength to our two countries’ closeness.”

Most of the New Zealand MPs spoke mainly in Maori language, which is close

to the Tahitian Maohi one.

They founded a “permanent

friendship committee”,

aimed at future closer work

ing relations.

“This visit is very important, because it’s the opportunity to further develop relations between New Zealand and its close South Pacific neighbours.

This is also a way of stress

ing New Zealand’s ongoing

commitment in the region.

And problems from past years related to French nuclear tests in our region are now well behind us.

France plays an important part in our region and we want France to pursue this,”

McKinnon said after talks with Flosse behind closed

doors.

“It is a fact that we are close neighbours.

And we wish to get even closer. This does n’t mean we have achieved much in trying to do this: events in past years, cultural dif ferences, and perhaps the view you hold of your interests have inclined you to orientate your country more to Asia. But you know, however, that we are good customers of your products,” Flosse said at a lunch he hosted for the ministerial delegation.

“We still enjoy today, in spite of the occasional turbulence, a privileged rela tionship, which is comforted by our Poly nesian parenthood. Our common goal is to nurture and perenise those relations.”

“We enjoy warm and friendly relations with all of our South Pacific neighbours, but we must constantly seek to strengthen cultural, social and economic links that bring us together,” McKinnon said.

Flosse replied, saying it was in French Polynesia’s interest to have good relations with Pacific countries, including Australia and New Zealand.

“But we have to point out possible prob lem areas in our relations with (those two countries),” he said, mentioning the trade

imbalance.

New Zealand is French Polynesia’s fourth supplier, after France, United States and Australia, French Polynesia’s external trade statistics show.

Last year, the territory imported some US$6B million worth of New Zealand

goods (mainly meat, building materials,

utensils, dairy products) and services, while the French Territory only exported a total value of U 55629,000 (mainly pearls, copra oil).

“We have to correct this imbalance,”

Flosse said, advocating further New Zealand investments in French Polynesia and more cultural exchanges.

Suggestions were made by trade offi cials for New Zealand authorities to con sider taking steps facilitating access of French Polynesian products on the New Zealand market.

Talks at the ministerial level are to fol low, the Polynesian government said.

The New Zealand minister also visited the museums of the pearl and the Tahiti and her islands, and the fisheries port in the French Polynesian capital.

McKinnon’s visit was part of a Poly

nesian tour early August, which included the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Niue, Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga.

Last June, New Zealand gov ernor-general Sir Michael Hardie Boys received red car pet honours as he paid a visit to French Polynesia, where he stayed five days, thus responding to a personal invi tation from French President

Jacques Chirac.

Similarly, Sir Michael was in one of France’s other South Pacific overseas territories, New Caledonia in early August.

After French Polynesia, McK innon and his delegation headed for Niue. (PINA Nius Online) ■

Don Mckinnon, New Zealand's foreign affairs milkier, has completed a whirtwind tour of Polynesia, including french Polynesia