OFC PRESIDENT MEETS WITH FRENCH GOVERNMENT

PARIS - OFC President/FIFA Vice-President Reynald Temarii and FIFA World Cup winner Christian Karembeu  were received by the Secretary of State  to the French Overseas Territories Mr. Christian Estrosi in Paris on Wednesday.

Temarii and Karembeu were in Paris to meet with French Government officials to discuss the  importance of football in developing education and health amongst the youth of the Oceania region.

Reynald Temarii has been actively promoting the role of football in developing countries within the Oceania region since he was elected to the OFC Presidency in 2004 and has sought to develop strong ties with the French Government embassies in Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Vanuatu where the implementation of OFC orientated development programmes has been in force over the past two years.

"The Oceania Football Confederation touches 500 000 young people in 3 000 schools and across fifteen countries," Temarii told Christian Estrosi

Christian Estrosi was pleased that to learn that France occupied such an important role in the OFC's development of the Oceania region.

OFC President/FIFA Vice-President Reynald Temarii told the minister that the general secretariat of the Oceania Football Confederation would relocate to New Caledonia in 2011 timed to coincide with the XIV South Pacific Games - New Caledonia 2011.