13 Oct 2022

France's Prime Minister to lead New Caledonian bilateral talks in Paris

2:55 pm on 13 October 2022
Wali Wahetra sitting with congress member with overseas territories minister.

Photo: Wali Wahetra

New Caledonia's pro-independence and anti-independence parties are set to meet in Paris on October 27th.

According to La Premiere the Prime Minister of France Elisabeth Borne will be leading the talks.

The meeting will include Minister for Overseas Territories Jean-Francois Carenco and both pro and anti-independence sides as they try to decide on the territory's political future.

The signing committee will be named 'The Partnerial Convention' and will be held the following day on the 28th.

Jean-Francois Carenco French Overseas minister

The Minister for Overseas Territories Jean-Francois Carenco Photo: Facebook

The FLNKS will meet on Thursday, October 14 in anticipation of the talks.

For the first time, civil society groups will also be invited to the talks.

This is the first meeting in Paris since the third referendum of independence on the Noumea Accord last year.

French transport minister Elisabeth Borne receives French Polynesian leaders

Prime Minister of France Elisabeth Borne (middle) Photo: supplied French Polynesian presidency

Carenco participated in 33 meetings during a four-day stay in New Caledonia, in which he aimed to renew the dialogue between France and pro-independence parties.

The planned gathering follows last December's referendum on independence from France in which 96 percent voted to stay with France, but most of the pro-independence camp had boycotted it.

The pro-independence side refuses to recognise that result as the legitimate outcome of the decolonisation process.

The Noumea Accord stipulates that in the case of three rejections of independence, the parties concerned should meet to discuss the situation.