French Ambassador for the Pacific Véronique Roger-Lacan, left, held talks with the Prime Minister Jotham Napat, middle. Photo: French Embassy in Vanuatu / Jean-Baptiste Jeangène Vilmer
France's Nouméa-based Ambassador for the Pacific Véronique Roger-Lacan made her first official visit to New Caledonia's closest neighbour, Vanuatu, over the weekend.
As part of a wide range of calls, she met the country's newly appointed Prime Minister Jotham Napat and discussed a proposed free trade agreement with New Caledonia.
With Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu, the talks focused on climate change-related topics, including the French-hosted 3rd UN Oceans Conference (UNOC3) to be held in Nice in June 2025.
"We discussed numerous issues concerning the Pacific Ocean: the fight against deep sea mining, waste management, innovation in the fight against climate change," Roger-Lacan wrote on social networks.
She also held meetings with the heads of key diplomatic missions represented in Port Vila (the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand) on "shared regional issues".
Just like France, all of these missions had their offices destroyed as a result of the December 2024 earthquake in the capital Port Vila.
She also visited a number of French-funded projects and institutions, such as the Vanuatu National Museum, the National Council of Chiefs (Malvatumauri), and its recently rebuilt Chiefs' Nakamal (the previous one was destroyed by fire), and the National University of Vanuatu (NUV).
In Vanuatu, France also supports French language-related educational and cultural projects.
The former French-British condominium (which became independent in 1980) retains French as one of its three official languages (with English and local pidgin bislama), and is a member of both the Commonwealth and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF, international organisation of French-speaking countries).
During the visit, the French diplomat also met representatives of the 2000-strong French community in Vanuatu, including business, cultural and educational leaders, at functions hosted by her Vanuatu-based counterpart Jean-Baptiste Jeangène Vilmer.
She was also introduced to a drinking session of Vanuatu's kava.
Roger-Lacan took up her position as French Ambassador to the Pacific in October 2023.
Her job description includes working towards better integrating France's three Pacific territories (New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia) in their "natural Pacific environment".
