Prime Minister Mark Brown met with President of New Caledonia, Louis Mapou, this week to strengthen support and discuss future collaborations.

The two leaders met before the start of the plenary session of the 53^rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Nuku’alofa, Tonga.

PM Brown and President Mapou have had a series of virtual exchanges since May 2024, and embraced warmly ahead of the Forum Troika Leaders meeting.

In a statement, Brown said: “I was very pleased to meet with President Mapou and reassure him, in person, of the Cook Islands’ commitment to continuing to support New Caledonia as it navigates these challenging times.”

“The Cook Islands’ own voyage to statehood and New Caledonia’s sustained quest for self-determination is a topic President Mapou and I have discussed on various occasions, and I will continue to be available to assist and support New Caledonia’s efforts in the months ahead.

“To that end, I have invited President Mapou to visit the Cook Islands for a deeper appreciation of our experiences.”

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, the two leaders also discussed arrangements for the Troika-led mission to New Caledonia.

They reaffirmed their joint commitment to progressing these arrangements through a jointly agreed “Terms of Reference” for the mission between New Caledonia, France and the Pacific Islands Forum.

The Pacific Islands Forum Troika-led mission was expected to take place last week. However, PM Brown, as the outgoing Forum chair, confirmed in a statement the mission had been postponed after Mapou and other New Caledonian leaders “identified a number of issues regarding due process and protocol”.

Last week, Brown told Cook Islands News that he is ambitious about the mission moving forward to address the issues that have resulted in the escalation of violence in New Caledonia.

“I’m looking forward again to being part of that high level delegation to try and find a way forward and to address the issues that have resulted in this escalation of violence in New Caledonia,” he said.

“New Caledonia is a full forum member and they are entitled to certain responses from the Forum Secretariat.”

The protests led to 10 deaths, including eight civilians and two French military personnel. According to RNZ, it was estimated that more than 800 buildings and businesses had been looted and razed by rioters, with unrest still active in some spots.