FM: French remilitarisation exacerbates crisis in New Caledonia

New Caledonian Foreign Minister Mickaël Forrest has said that New Caledonia is going through a very important period at the political level.

"New Caledonia is going through a very important period at the political level because France is remilitarising the country, which is having a negative impact on the society in psychological and social aspects," Forrest made these remarks during a round table discussion and press conference on “Decolonisation, International Diplomacy and the Role of Communication in the Modern World”, Report informs.

“It is always important for us, small nations, peoples with a colonial past to be able to talk about ourselves, to say who we are and what our quality of life is. In general, our territory is colonized by France,” he said.

Forrest emphasised that the Kanak people demand respect for their “innate and active right to self-determination”.

Baku hosted a roundtable discussion and press conference titled "Decolonisation, International Diplomacy, and the Role of Communication in the Modern World" on June 13.

The event, organised by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), brought together a group of journalists, popular bloggers, and civil society activists from various African countries, as well as journalists from New Caledonia.

The conference attracted more than 20 representatives from foreign media outlets and was held in a hybrid format.