Vanuatu and New Caledonia are expected to reach a visa waiver agreement soon.
This news comes after a meeting between Vanuatu Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade with a delegation from New Caledonia, led by the President of New Caledonia government, Louis Mapou.
The discussions between the two Pacific Island nations centered on a number of issues including free-visa access into New Caledonia. Joe Harry, Public Relations Officer to the Prime Minister’s Office, said that the French Ambassador to Vanuatu first mentioned France’s intention to grant free visa travel from Vanuatu into New Caledonia during his courtesy visit to PM Kalsakau.
Harry, who is also part of the PM’s delegation to Fiji, added that Kalsakau raised this as part of the discussions.
The Minister of Internal Affairs of France is expected to make an official announcement regarding the visa waiver into New Caledonia during his visit to Vanuatu next month.
Vanuatu and New Caledonia share close economic and cultural ties, with many Vanuatu citizens traveling to New Caledonia for work and other purposes. The visa waiver agreement would facilitate easier travel between the two nations, promoting business, tourism, and cultural exchange. Recently, PM Kalsakau also confirmed that nation’s journey towards visa-free travel to Australia will not take long.
