The French State will take up the matter of the transfer of the factory of the South, the French Minister for Overseas Territories Sébastien Lecornu, said on Thursday 26 November, from Paris.
This announcement was made a few hours after the videoconference meeting of the Leprédour group*, which includes Minister Sébastien Sébastien Lecornu, five pro-France Caledonian leaders, five independence leaders as well as the High Commissioner of the Republic in New Caledonia.
Expectations
He is expected to announce the date in the coming days.It will allow everyone to express their expectations and questions about the future of the site”, the Minister for Overseas Territories stated in a communiqué.
Korea Zinc not responding
The Minister for the Overseas Territories also mentioned the difficulty that the silence of the industrial partners of the so-called “Home” (i.e. independist) offer poses to the French State.
Recently and at the minister’s request, repeated attempts have been made via the French diplomatic network to contact Korea Zinc. To no avail.
Nickel again
A new meeting in the so-called “Leprédour format” is to be held in the coming days, the Minister of Overseas Territories said. Nickel will be the major issue. And Sébastien Lecornu’s staff announced that they want a precise inventory of the three nickel plants in New Caledonia.
* The Leprédour group is a body named after the Leprédour Island, near Boulouparis, in New Caledonia, where Sébastien Lecornu brought together ten new caledonian leaders, on October, 29, for a dialogue meeting.
Five pro-France : Senator Pierre Frogier, Deputies Philippe Gomès and Philippe Dunoyer, the President of the New Caledonia Government, Thierry Santa, and the President of the Southern Province, Sonia Backès.
And five pro-independence : the President of New Caledonia Congress Roch Wamytan, the President of the Island Province, Jacques Lalié, the president of the Caledonian Union, Daniel Goa, the president of the Progressive Union in Melanesia, Victor Tutugoro, and Paul Néaoutyine, the President of the Northern Province.
Photo > The Vale plant in Southern New Caledonia. Credit > Vale.