France's new ambassador to the Cook Islands had his credentials confirmed in a Rarotonga ceremony yesterday.
Francis Etienne was welcomed at the country's government house by the Queen's Representative, Sir Frederick Goodwin, and others representing the House of Ariki, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, and the French-speaking Cook Islands community.
Mr Etienne, on his first visit to the Cooks, says he is privileged to represent France and its people and refers to the 15 islands in the Cooks group as jewels in the South Pacific.
