Emmanuel Macron has become France's first head of state to visit the Marquesas Islands, a remote archipelago located in French Polynesia, and in doing so he received a new name from the locals.
Upon his arrival, the French president was greeted by a traditional ceremony of 600 dancers and musicians from the islands.
According to Le HuffPost, during the ceremony held at the Atuona Stadium on Hiva Oa Island, Macron was "baptised" with a "Marquesan" name, "Te Hakaiki Taha’oa," which can be roughly translated as "the great chief who walks and who goes far."
During his visit to the archipelago, Macron announced his support for the Marquesas Islands’ bid to gain UNESCO world heritage status.
"This nature and this culture is our treasure," he said. "This is why I will fight alongside you for the Marquesas to get the UNESCO classification."
Macron’s first official trip to French Polynesia is “mostly dedicated to discussing the French overseas territory's strategic role, the legacy of nuclear tests and rising seas due to global warming,” as AFP puts it.