The funeral of New Caledonia's veteran leader, Jacques Lafleur, is being held in Noumea this morning.
Mr Lafleur, who was the territory's most influential politicians of the past three decades, died in Australia last Saturday aged 78.
Among the dignitaries present are the French overseas territories minister, Marie-Luce Penchard, and the French Polynesian president, Gaston Tong Sang.
On Tuesday, the French assembly observed a minute's silence in his honour.
He had been an assembly member for 29 years until 2007.
