French foreign minister says she is open to South Pacific resettlement requests due to rising seas

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna says she is open to any resettlement request from tiny South Pacific nations threatened by rising sea levels, similar to Australia’s agreement with Tuvalu. Colonna said on Monday that France had watched with “great interest” last month when Australia offered Tuvalu a lifeline to help residents escape the rising seas and increased storms brought by climate change. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a plan that will initially allow up to 280 Tuvaluans to come to Australia each year. Tuvalu has a population of 11,000, and its low-lying atolls make it particularly vulnerable to global warming. Colonna says she is not sure if the French Pacific territories of French Polynesia and New Caledonia have the capacity to make similar offers.