“We express our gratitude to the Government of Azerbaijan and all the people who made it possible for us to be present here. We must find solution to steer away from this difficult path at this Congress concerning the French colonies,” said New Caledonia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Mickael Forrest as he addressed the first Congress in Baku involving leaders from more than 15 political parties and independence movements from Corsica, Melanesia, Polynesia, the Caribbean, and the Antillean islands, which are suffering from the French colonialism.

“We must strengthen our platforms, engage in discussions. We need to structure our political activities in a way that allows us to respond to challenges.

The Baku Initiative Group has given us a valuable opportunity, and we should make the most of it. We also need to think about different future platforms by coming together. We should secure our place in the new world order,” added Minister Mickael Forrest.