French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in New Caledonia on Thursday for a visit that precedes a referendum on independence for the Pacific territory. His program has aroused criticism from both separatists and French loyalists.
Arriving after a three-day trip to Australia, Macron declined to take a position on the independence vote, although during last year’s presidential election campaign he expressed a preference for the territory remaining part of France, Radio France Internationale reported.
The visit was an opportunity to “pay tribute to some important occasions in our common history, occasions which may have sometimes been painful”, he said.
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