France aid to French Polynesia gets go-ahead
Updated
![President Tong Sang (L) met with the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, last week in Paris. [Supplied]](http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/img/news/base/fpoly_france_meet_supplied_.jpg "President Tong Sang (L) met with the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, last week in Paris. [Supplied]")
President Tong Sang (L) met with the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, last week in Paris. [Supplied]
The president of French Polynesia, Gaston Tong Sang, will prolong his one-week visit to France in order to sign a crucial $US77 million development aid package.
Oceania Flash reports the signing of the five-year aid agreement was originally planned for last week, when Mr Tong Sang met with the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy.
Despite support from Mr Sarkozy, opposition in the French Polynesian parliament prevented the French government from going ahead with the official signing ceremony.
During a weekend sitting of the Assembly in Pape'ete, however, a slim parliamentary majority endorsed the aid agreement.
The ceremony is expected to take place on late Monday, Paris time.
The five-year grant will go towards social housing projects, health, higher education, and civil safety and protection - including the construction of cyclone and tsunami-proof shelters.
The funds are in addition to France's direct injections into French Polynesia estimated at approximately $1.5 billion a year.
In other developments, officials from the French president's office have announced Mr Sarkozy is planning to visit French Polynesia next year.
