East Timor

France maintains excellent relations with Tonga. In recent years, the Tongan Prime Minister, Prince Ulukalala Lavaka Ata, attended the first France-Oceania Summit in 2003 in Papeete. Foreign Affairs Minister Sonatane Tu’akinamolahi Taumoepeau-Tupou attended the second summit in 2006 in Paris, and on this occasion met with French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy. In addition, Mr. Christian Estrosi, then Secretary of State for Overseas Territories, visited Tonga in 2007 at the annual summit of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).

Tonga was represented by the Transportation Minister, Mr. Samiu Vaipulu, at the third France-Oceania Summit, chaired by the Foreign and European Affairs Minister, Bernard Kouchner, on July 31st, 2009 in Noumea.

The Prime Minister, Mr. Feleti Sevele, made a private visit to France in May 2010 and met with senators from the France-Vanuatu-Pacific Islands friendship group. Meetings were also held between Mr. Sevele and MEDEF International and the National Frequencies Agency (Agence Nationale des Fréquences -ANFR).

Cooperation between the two countries is supported by the “Pacific Fund” wherever projects involve French communities in the region, including geographically close Wallis and Futuna.

In October 2009, Tonga received humanitarian aid from France, with the support of French forces in the Pacific, following the tsunami on September 30th, 2009. Indeed, in the context of aid coordination with Australia and New Zealand (FRANZ), France deployed military aircraft and a vessel of the Navy to transport personnel and emergency medical equipment to the island of Niuatoputapu (isolated island in the north).

In May 2009, France also offered nine trucks to the Tongan Army. In addition, in February 2010, France and Tonga signed an intergovernmental agreement on the status of French forces on Tongan territory, as part of military and humanitarian assistance activities.

Currently, several projects are pending. A wind turbine and solar panel electricity generation project is under consideration. The plans for opening an Alliance Française in Tonga, reporting to the one in Suva, could come to fruition in the near future. In addition, a project is under consideration to create the third Radio France International (RFI) FM station in Oceania in Tonga.

Updated on: 25.05.11