In Vanuatu, Macron denounces the “new imperialisms” in Oceania, before joining Sri Lanka

2023-07-28 04:09:53

This is the first time that Emmanuel Macron has visited Vanuatu, this country located in the southern Pacific Ocean, near New Caledonia, made up of around 80 islands that extend over 1,300 km and populated of approximately 300,000 inhabitants.

Upon his arrival, the President of the Republic denounced “the interference” and the “new imperialisms” which are developing in Oceania. “A logic of power that threatens sovereignty,” he added. In the line of sight, China, which gained a foothold in this country in the 2010s and whose presence and influence are increasingly important.

Emmanuel Macron’s desire is to “reengage” France in this “Indo-Pacific” part of the world, he said. And France can make arguments: it is the only European country bordering the Asia-Pacific with 1.6 million citizens in the region spread over seven overseas territories and an exclusive economic zone of 9 million. square kilometres,

“Our Indo-Pacific strategy consists first and foremost in defending through its partnerships the independence and sovereignty of all the States in the region that are ready to work with us,” said Emmanuel Macron. In other words, France should propose an increase in its support, in terms of development aid but also in the fight against natural disasters, which are frequent in this region.

In early March, two cyclones hit the archipelago hard two days apart. Climatic events which have partly undermined the country whose economy is based in particular on tourism and which has already suffered badly from the Covid epidemic.

The fight against climate change as an objective

In this context, a first step was taken during this presidential visit. France and Vanuatu have launched a joint call for “immediate action in the face of climate change”. In this “Ifira appeal”, named after an islet facing Port Vila, the Vanuatu capital, the two countries call on all global players “to significantly increase the resources mobilized in favor of vulnerable countries and communities. “.

They plead for an acceleration of “the energy transition on a global scale by gradually abandoning fossil fuels” and say they are “in favor of an ambitious reform of the international financial architecture which takes into account vulnerabilities in the face of climate change”. A project already defended by the French head of state at a summit organized in June in Paris.

This text also sets objectives in the face of “the urgent need to deal with the consequences of climate change” and in particular “the rise in sea level” which threatens the islands of the region. Among the “priorities” mentioned is “the protection of marine biodiversity, particularly with regard to the deep seabed” which they want to completely banish “exploitation”.

A “historic” visit to Sri Lanka

Emmanuel Macron will travel to Sri Lanka on Friday evening, on his way back from his Pacific tour, the Elysée announced on Wednesday evening. The Head of State will meet with President Ranil Wickremesinghe on the occasion of “this historic visit, the first by a French president to Sri Lanka”, argued the Elysée. This visit “will be an opportunity to deepen bilateral relations and to discuss the regional and international challenges of the two countries”, the same source added. This step in Sri Lanka comes as this island off the coast of India, nine times smaller than France and populated by some 22 million inhabitants, has been going through a deep economic and political crisis for more than a year.

President Wickremesinghe took power there a year ago, after the flight of his predecessor, pushed out by monster demonstrations against the backdrop of the country’s worst economic crisis since its independence in 1948. Aided in particular by the IMF, Sri Lanka is trying since then to get back on its feet, even if the country should remain bankrupt until 2026. But its geopolitical situation remains fragile, torn between two great rival powers: the Indian neighbor, and China.