24 Feb 2006

French overseas territories minister defers visit to New Caledonia

10:11 am on 24 February 2006

The French minister for overseas territories, Francois Baroin, has put back a visit to New Caledonia for at least several days.

Mr Baroin had been scheduled to visit the Pacific territory this weekend, but he's been visiting Indian Ocean territories where there's concern at an outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease called Chikungunya.

He'll now visit Australia before heading on to Noumea.