24 Jun 2006

French president and the French Polynesian president fail to meet in Paris

9:16 am on 24 June 2006

A planned meeting in Paris between the French president, Jacques Chirac, and the French Polynesian president, Oscar Temaru, has failed to take place.

There was a slight delay for the planned encounter but Mr Temaru didn't appear.

It was not immediately clear why the meeting, which would have been their first, didn't take place.

A private meeeting had been arranged before Mr Chirac was to see leaders from France's Pacific territories for joint discussions ahead of next week's summit with representatives from Pacific Island Forum countries.