New Zealand foreign minister calls for more diplomacy on New Caledonia

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters looks on on the day he meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department in Washington, U.S., April 11, 2024. REUTERS/Craig Hudson/File Photo

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters said there needed to be "more diplomacy, more engagement, more compromise" to resolve the crisis in New Caledonia following sometimes violent protests that have been ongoing since May.

Protests have roiled New Caledonia after France voted to approve reforms to allow thousands more French residents who have lived in the territory for 10 years to vote. France sent military to the territory to try to quell the violence.