The 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Summit continues in Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa. Louis Mapue, the leader of the Government of New Caledonia, which represents the territory, has been a full member of the FIP since 2016. Along with 17 other members of the forum, many guests are non-members. Among them, Azerbaijan.
Eighteen states and territories, including New Caledonia, are officially participating in the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga this week. At the same time, numerous representatives of other countries or external organizations made the trip. So, there is the European Union, there is the Commonwealth, as is Azerbaijan. So far from the mainland lands of Baku, this presence is surprising in the middle of the forum of island leaders.
Official reason: Organization, Azerbaijan, 29th COP, UN Climate Conference, November 11-22. COP 29 X account is also reported “A fruitful meeting between the President of COP 29 and UN Secretary-General AntohNeo Gutierrez. As a non-member, Baku capitalizes on bilateral meetings outside the official programme.
Why not take the opportunity to discuss with New Caledonia? The question comes weeks after a trip by a FLNKS team consisting of a member of the Mapou government and three elected representatives of Congress. They later attended the “Congress of the French Colonies”, which was described by independents as meddling in Caledonian and French affairs.
Before that, on Thursday, April 18, elected UC-FLNKS and nationalists Omayra Naisseline signed an agreement on cooperation on behalf of the New Caledonia Congress with Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of the Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Parliament. A trip to Baku, which also drew a strong reaction from non-independent elected officials.
France, which is not a member of FIP, is also represented in these 53e Forum in Tonga Islands by a committee appointed by the President. The delegation is chaired by Véronique Roger-Lacon, French Ambassador to the Pacific.
“Total coffee junkie. Tv ninja. Unapologetic problem solver. Beer expert.”