Date:Tuesday 13th June. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHIRAC ANNOUNCEMENT TO RESUME NUCLEAR TESTING CONDEMNED;

RAINBOW WARRIOR GOES FULL STEAM TOWARD MORUROA

Off New Zealand coast, 19:35 GMT Tuesday June 13 -- The Rainbow Warrior will go full steam ahead to Moruroa atoll Greenpeace said in response to France's announcement this evening that it will resume nuclear testing in the South Pacific.

Greenpeace said France's decision to resume testing in September with eight undergound nuclear tests was a black day for the world's hopes to see progress on nuclear disarmament. It called on the international community to condemn President Chirac's move, and for President Clinton to cancel a planned meeting with M. Chirac tomorrow in protest against the decision.

"It is an outrage that France has chosen nuclear proliferation over nuclear disarmament and more tests instead of a comprehensive test ban treaty," Greenpeace's Stephanie Mills said from aboard the Rainbow Warrior. "Even one test is one too many. This will shatter hopes of achieving a comprehensive test ban treaty this year and put the Pacific at risk from further radioactive contamination."

France will be betraying its commitments to non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament made as recently as last month at the United Nations Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) talks, Greenpeace France's Jean-Luc Thierry said from the ship.

"France is making a mockery of solemn pledges made at the NPT and putting at risk its relationship with the rest of the international community to return to testing," he said. "With the Cold War over, there can be even less justification than ever for testing new bombs to add to a stockpile of nuclear weapons that could already destroy the planet many times over. France is sacrificing its long term strategic interests for short term internal political reasons," he said.

President Chirac's announcement comes as Greenpeace's ship Rainbow Warrior leaves New Zealand following a brief commemoration ceremony for the ten year anniversary of the bombing of the original Rainbow Warrior there. The original ship was destroyed 10 years ago next month by French secret service agents killing one crew member as it prepared to set sail to protest French testing in the Pacific. ###

Contact: Stephanie Mills, Jean-Luc Thierry aboard the Rainbow Warrior +(00) 872 1300312

Penelope Komites, Greenpeace France, +33 1 4770 4689

Blair Palese, Greenpeace Communications, London +44 171 833 0600

*Footage and photos of the Rainbow Warrior's departure available through Retuers TV, TVNZ and AFT photo desk.