Call for open-minded dialogue: New Zealand urges France to rethink approach to New Caledonia

Foreign Minister Winston Peters delivered a speech in Paris calling on France to keep an open mind about a new approach for New Caledonia, urging a shift in perspective and a focus on deepening the relationship between New Zealand and France, with an emphasis on the Pacific.

The speech, titled "The Path Less Travelled", was inspired by American poet Robert Frost and delivered at the French Institute of International Relations to an audience that included French dignitaries and members of the diplomatic corps, Caliber.Az reports via RNZ.

Peters addressed the shifting geopolitical landscape, pointing to a global shift from rules to power, from economics to security and defence, and from economic efficiencies to resilience and sustainability.

"These shifts present challenges for a small trade-dependent country like New Zealand. Some of these challenges are familiar, but others, those mostly driven by technology, are new," Peters remarked.

The Foreign Minister also spoke about the significance of free trade agreements, referencing New Zealand's recent FTA with the EU, before addressing global security concerns, including the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.

Peters then shifted focus to the ongoing unrest in New Caledonia, where riots erupted in May amid calls for independence. He expressed New Zealand's support for efforts to restore security, particularly for foreign nationals, including New Zealanders. Reflecting on the historic agreements made between Paris and Nouméa in the 1980s and 1990s, Peters noted, "The road less travelled, one where France and New Caledonia walked together, has now become overgrown and blocked by choices already made and actions already taken."

The archipelago remains at an impasse after the riots, and while France retains control of the military, Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka recently offered to deploy a peacekeeping force under the Pacific Policing Initiative following a delayed visit with other Pacific leaders.

Peters urged France to approach the situation with an open mind. "That in Nouméa and Paris, the key to restoring the spirit of earlier understandings is for all parties to have open minds about their next crucial choice, about a new path forward because France and the people of New Caledonia stand at a new turning point," he said.

Peters proposed that instead of dwelling on past issues, there is an opportunity to explore new questions for the future. "There are all sorts of constitutional models out there, including across the Pacific. For instance, New Zealand has learned from its experience of having different types of constitutional relationships with realm countries, the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau."

"Our realm relationships are stable and mutually beneficial, so enduring, and the constitutional mechanisms provide for maximum self-determination while ensuring that New Zealand's security and defence interests remain protected," Peters said.

By Tamilla Hasanova