BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 18. France is trying to erase the culture of the Kanak people and make them dependent on itself, an employee of the Senate Secretariat and expert on New Caledonia, historian Jean Yves Poedy said, TurkicWorld reports.

He made the remark at a scientific conference devoted to the theme "New Caledonia: history, modern challenges, and the expected future", hosted by the Azerbaijani parliament.

The expert mentioned that the culture of the Kanak people dates back 3,000 years.

"France should not interfere in the lives of the Kanak people. It's trying to create Western culture there, but this won't happen," Poedy added.

To note, a delegation headed by the chairwoman of the Committee on Infrastructure, Territorial Planning, Sustainable Development, Energy, Transportation, and Communication of the Congress of New Caledonia, Naisseline Omayra, as well as Azerbaijani MPs, are taking part in the conference.