Tong Sang’s office stated that it will ask for “necessary compensations” as a result of the reduction of army personnel posted in French Polynesia.
He was in Paris attending a nationwide French colloquium on the future orientations of the tourism industry.
The French Pacific president also held talks with French Budget Minister Eric Woerth on a wide range of issues including metropolitan France’s assistance to the Tahiti and her islands destination, as well as a request to have a planned purchase of another Airbus for French Polynesia’s international flag carrier, Air Tahiti Nui.
France President Nicholas Sarkozy said the downsizing exercise, from a general perspective, will take place gradually, between 2011 and 2015. The same will apply to French Polynesia’s RIMAP air base, which will see a reduction from the current 240 personnel to a lean 65.
It is estimated altogether that the downsizing will reduce the number of army personnel posted in French Polynesia by some 1,100.
