Tonga and France sign military MOU [1]
Thursday, February 25, 2010 - 20:35. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
TONGA and France signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a Statute of Force Agreement between the two countries in Nuku'alofa on Monday, February 22.
The MOU was signed by the Tongan Prime Minister, Dr Feleti Sevele and the French non-resident Ambassador to Tonga, Mr Michel Mornier.
At the signing ceremony, in the Tongan Cabinet room, Dr Sevele said that the MOU is another milestone of the long diplomatic relations that Tonga has with the French Republic. Tonga's first ever treaty with a foreign power was with France in 1655.
Va'inga Tone, Secretary for Foreign Affairs, said that the agreement means that whenever military personnel are in each other territories they will automatically come under the protection of the laws of that country. Whenever French soldiers are in Tonga on military exercises in Tongan territory they are now coming under the jurisdiction of the Tongan law. The same applies to Tongan soldiers in French Territories.
Va'inga said that the only two other countries that Tonga has signed a similar Statute of Force Agreement with are the USA and Kuwait. He said that an agreement with Kuwait was needed when Tongan soldiers went there for training before they were deployed to Iraq.
Respects for Futa
While in Tonga on February 24, the French Ambassador laid a wreath on the grave of the late Professor Futa Helu, who was buried at the Telekava Cemetery, Kolomotu'a last week. The Ambassador met some of Futa's children and close relatives.