President Edouard Fritch

French Polynesia's Fritch gets chiefly title in Samoa

RNZI reports Toamua was the village of the late Aggie Grey.

The traditional ceremony was attended by Samoa's Prime Minister, Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi, and members of Aggie Grey's family.

Final appeal from Tahiti for Forum membership

He was speaking in Port Moresby on the eve of the Forum leaders' leaders session which is due to discuss the issue.

French Polynesia is an associate member of the Forum and its bid for membership is being considered by the group.

Mr Fritch says as a man of the Pacific he is deeply linked to the region's values and the French territory always acted in solidarity with its Pacific neighbours as the islands share the same DNA.

He said it was time for full membership after the territory's ten years' listening and learning as an observer and associate at the Forum.