6 May 2008

French government to receive Tahiti delegation in two weeks

1:47 pm on 6 May 2008

The junior French minister in charge of overseas territories, Yves Jego, is to receive a delegation from French Polynesia led by President Gaston Tong Sang in the week from May the 19th to firm up development contracts.

A top delegation from Tahiti was due to fly to Paris last month but Mr Tong Sang managed to oust the government in a no confidence vote, succeeding Gaston Flosse as the territory's third president this year.

Mr Jego is now to visit Tahiti in July.

A visit by the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, had been planned for late April but was deferred indefinitely after the territorial election led to Mr Flosse becoming president in February.

Mr Sarkozy's UMP party, whose spokesman at the time was Mr Jego, also cut ties with Mr Flosse's party for him not entering a coalition with Mr Tong Sang.