Papeete, July 17 1900 local time -- The Rainbow Warrior has sailed tonight from Papeete for Rarotonga and Fiji, to prepare for a return to Moruroa with a flotilla of protest vessels.
Greenpeace's Stephanie Mills said the Rainbow Warrior would appeal to South Pacific Forum governments based in Fiji to further press President Chirac to reverse his decision to resume nuclear tests at Moruroa in September.
Commenting on reports that the Austrian Foreign Minister Wolfgang Schuessel has said France would "modify" its decision to test eight nuclear tests in the South Pacific, Stephanie Mills said:
"The only acceptable "modification" of France's plans is a complete end to testing immediately. But it is encouraging that President Chirac appears to have opened his ears to the strong opposition of the international community. If the reports are accurate, it is clear that public pressure to stop testing is working, and must continue and increase."
She said the crew of the Rainbow Warrior also applauded the New Zealand Government's decision to send an official vessel to Moruroa along with a fleet of citizens' yachts, and welcomed Prime Minister Bolger's announcement that it would pursue the possibility of taking France to the World Court.
"President Chirac's decision has touched a raw nerve world-wide," she said. "The will of the international community is clearly for progress toward nuclear disarmament and an immediate comprehensive test ban treaty, not further nuclear proliferation by France or any other state."
The Rainbow Warrior will arrive in Rarotonga, the Cook Islands, in three days time.
ENDS
Further information: Stephanie Mills on board the SV Rainbow Warrior +872 1300 312
Blair Palese, Greenpeace Communications: +44171-833-0600