France's President Emmanuel Macron and Vanuatu's Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau attend the Melanesian art festival in Port Vila Photo: LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP
The French President has told Vanuatu leaders he will provide financial assistance to the country and look into the dispute over two small islands between Vanuatu and New Caledonia.
Emmanuel Macron has left for Papua New Guinea after his visit to Port Vila.
More than 4000 people welcomed him on Thursday evening to the 7th Melanesian Arts Festival in the capital.
Vanuatu Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau told the crowd that Macron said to him he will put large sum of money into Vanuatu.
He said the president told him that France will rebuild the French primary and secondary schools of Melsisi on the island of Pentecost which was damaged by cyclone Harold a few years ago.
The main discussion between the two leaders was the geopolitical situation within the region and they also talked about the contribution of France to the education of Vanuatu, climate change and security.
Macron said that he had good talks with Kalsakau during his one-day visit.
"I am not only here as a foreign head of State but I am your neighbour," said Macron to the crowd.
Concerning the issue of Matthew and Hunter islands in the southern part of Vanuatu, Kalsakau did not specifically mention the names of the islands but only said they have agreed to resolve the issue of land in the south of Vanuatu.
"Mr Macron told me that we will resolve the issue of land in the south between now and December," Kalsakau said.
Before the arrival of Macron, chiefs and political leaders urged Kalsakau to tell him that the islands are an integral part of Vanuatu.
Also during his stay in Vanuatu, Macron met with the Vanuatu President, Nikenike Vurobaravu, and participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the War Memorial, alongside Kalsakau.
It is the first time a French President has visited Vanuatu or PNG.
Vanuatu is the only Pacific state with French as an official language and there is a French community of more than 2000 people.
France's President Emmanuel Macron at the Melanesian art festival in Port Vila Photo: LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP
On the first leg of his Pacific tour in Noumea, Macron said he would forge ahead with processing a new statute for New Caledonia, replacing the 1998 Noumea Accord.
Academic - France to push defence deal with PNG
An academic expects France and Papua New Guinea to discuss a security agreement during Emmanuel Macron's visit to Papua New Guinea.
University of PNG political scientist Michael Kabuni said France is likely to push a defence cooperation agreement, couching it in the language of improving border security, and preventing illegal fishing and transnational crime.
He said France, with an active military already in the Pacific, is well placed to provide such help.
"So that could be used to support, not only law enforcement agencies and regional co-operation in fighting transnational crimes that we are facing, but disaster response.
"France has the capacity to respond. They actually have military vessels with the capacity to deploy, at very short notice, in the Pacific."
Kabuni said he is expecting this kind of non-military support, just like the United States offered recently.
The PNG Prime Minister James Marape said the visit by Macron is a sign of PNG's growing connectivity with the world.
He said his country is eagerly anticipating strengthening its ties and forging enduring partnerships with the influential G7 economy.
It comes after meetings in recent months in Port Moresby with the leaders of Indonesia, South Korea, India, New Zealand and the US Secretary of State.
Also just now, the US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin is visiting Port Moresby.
ABC USA reports Austin was to meet with Marape, Defence Minister Win Bakri Daki and other top military leaders on Thursday.
The US and PNG signed a controversial Defence Cooperation Agreement earlier this year which has yet to be ratified by PNG's parliament.
Marape has faced domestic criticism and protests from people concerned it might infringe on the country's sovereignty.
But US officials see the agreement as a major milestone and that expanding military cooperation between the two countries will improve security in the region, increase US training opportunities for Papua New Guinea's military and help the US respond to humanitarian and regional crises.
