The French Embassy hosted the Pacific Partnership 2025 closing ceremony aboard the French patrol vessel Auguste Bénébig docked at Apia’s port on October 31 in the presence of Acting Prime Minister Toeolesulusulu Po’ouliuliu Oneseum and many Cabinet Ministers, as well as Admiral Steve Koehler, Commander of the US Pacific fleet.
Pacific Partnership is a collaboration between the United States, France, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K. and the Government of Samoa, as the Pacific region’s largest annual multinational humanitarian and civic assistance mission. It included also this year stakeholders from Canada and Germany.
The closing ceremony marked the successful completion of two weeks of joint activities promoting regional resilience, security, and friendship that commenced in Samoa on October 21 with the arrival of the USS John L. Canley (ESB 6), a Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base.
This year’s mission emphasised teamwork between U.S., France, Australia, New Zealand, U.K. and Samoan professionals. Key mission activities included this year, first, Engineering projects jointly completed by U.S. Navy and French engineers, such as the construction of new facilities and water systems at Magiagi Primary School and repairs to health infrastructure at Faleolo District Hospital, then Medical exchanges and outreach with the Ministry of Health focusing on optometry, dentistry, infectious disease prevention, neonatal care, and rural patient services, also Disaster management training, including a mass rescue and oil spill response exercise with Samoa’s Disaster Management Office, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and the Samoa Police Force and finally Community outreach, featuring a Community Health Event, concerts by the Pacific Partnership Band, school visits, and collaboration with local NGOs and universities.
Now in its 21st year, Pacific Partnership continues to strengthen regional cooperation and disaster preparedness while fostering the long-standing relationships among partner nations throughout the Pacific.
In their remarks, French Ambassador Guillaume Lemoine and Admiral Steve Koehler acknowledged the great commitments of the Government of Samoa and their many agencies that worked together to make this success happen by having hosted and undertaken this major partnership and also to have brought together many stakeholders, national, regional and international partners.
Acting Prime Minister thanked the stakeholders for their commitment for the benefit of Samoa and the region, recalling the necessity and benefits of international cooperation.
The FNS Auguste Bénébig is one of the 8 vessels of the French Navy in the Pacific stationed both in Noumea and Papeete.
This ship, commissioned in 2023, was named after a famous French military, born and died in New Caledonia, who behaved heroically during the battles of Northern Africa of World War II.
As the ship steams and its presence, France works together alongside its allies and friends in the region, for a free, open, fair, inclusive, interconnected, resilient, secure, and prosperous Pacific.
Embassy of France in Samoa – Press Release No. 2025/143, 1 November 2025
