France’s Pacific Agenda

French President Jacques Chirac was on an official visit in French Polynesia from July 25 to July 28. His trip came after a stay in a much more troubled French Pacific territory, New Caledonia.

French President Jacques Chirac (right) with French Polynesia President Gaston Flosse

The political situation in New Caledonia is still unclear in many ways, with divided pro-independence movements, an independence referendum looming in the future and incidents of tear gas use against angry demonstrators during Chirac's visit. French Polynesia, in contrast, wanted to show a happy and prosperous face. And, in many ways, it did.

A friendly crowd almost overcame security measures on Chirac's arrival in Tahiti. His long-time ally, French Polynesia President Gaston Flosse, had pledged to make his official visit a very special moment. He wanted his friend Chirac to be proud of what has been achieved in French Polynesia since the end of nuclear testing in Moruroa, in January 1996.

Chirac's visit included stops devoted to the main economic resources of French Polynesia-meetings with fishermen in Papeete, as Tahiti intends to develop its fishing fleet, and with black pearl producers. Although the black pearl market has been going through tough times in 2002 and in the first six months of 2003, the industry hopes better results will come in the second half of the year.

The last of the three main resources, tourism, also went through difficult times, but it still remains a very valuable asset for French Polynesia, both from the European, U.S. and Japanese markets. Chirac went to the leeward island of Bora Bora, a prototypical blueagoon known all over the world, to deliver a speech centered both on tourism growth and on protecting nature. He claimed Bora Bora was a very good example for that.

The new 200-meter-long facility, which cost about US$25 million, allows ships of up to 300 meters (984 feet) to dock on both sides. A similar facility should be available in the Papeete harbor in one year and that will allow the Papeete Port Authority to accommodate four large cruise ships at the same time.

To thank Chirac, a great gathering of dancers from all the archipelagoes of French Polynesia was organized. A crowd of about 30,000 persons, which had never been seen before in Tahiti, turned in for the show.

But not everybody was pleased by Chirac's visit. The Tavini Huiraatira independence movement also invited itself to the party and organized a demonstration a few hours after Chirac had landed in Tahiti. About 2,000 demonstrators were held in check by security officials. They said they had not forgotten Chirac was also the one who resumed nuclear testing in Moruroa in 1995.

Flosse said later that the demonstration had been a "failure." He claimed the independence movement had lost momentum in French Polynesia over the years. Oddly enough, some demonstrators that day waved U.S. flags. They said they wanted an independent federal state to be created in French Polynesia.

Chirac did not announce anything really new during his stay in Tahiti. Flosse said that he did not expect anything of that sort anyway. "He [Chirac] just came to say once more, just as he did a few months ago, that the fund created after the end of nuclear testing will have no deadline and that a new autonomy statute giving more power to French Polynesia will soon be granted."

The fund, providing Tahiti about US$ 180 million a year, was initially scheduled to last only 10 years after the end of nuclear testing. Details of the new autonomy statute will be discussed at the French Parliament in the coming months in Paris.

Chirac's last day in French Polynesia was spent with the France-South Pacific States meeting. Although neither Tonga nor Australia took part in the meeting, French officials said they were satisfied by the attendance and outcome. With an eye toward a better integration of France's three Pacific territories in the region (French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna), President Chirac said he hoped that French Polynesia, like New Caledonia, could become an observer in the Pacific Islands Forum.

The French President told the 15 regional delegations that he wanted to double France's grant to the South Pacific Economic, Social and Cultural Cooperation Fund starting next year. That fund was originally created when French Polynesia President Gaston Flosse served then-Prime Minister Chirac as under secretary of state for the South Pacific from 1986-1988. France's financial participation to this fund could go up to US$5 million.

Funds will be used for road construction, schools, health programs or disaster relief operations in the Pacific Islands.