The French Polynesian president, Oscar Temaru, has taken exception to the French foreign minister speaking on behalf of all three French Pacific territories at the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in New Zealand.
Alain Juppe joined the post Forum dialogue in Auckland - a day after the Forum rebuffed the French territories' advances to the organisation.
New Caledonia wanted to become a full Forum member and French Polynesia sought Forum support for its decolonisation bid.
Mr Temaru says he doesn't want Mr Juppe to speak for him.
"In his speech he said 'I'm here and I speak on behalf of these three collectivities - New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, and French Polynesia.' What a shame. That kind of policy is the past."
France has been opposed to reinscribing French Polynesia on the UN decolonisation list but put New Caledonia on it after the unrest of the 1980s.