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Australian PM meets Macron 10 months after sub spat

July 1, 2022

Australian and French leaders have held their first meeting since a diplomatic row last year over a canceled submarine contract. Australia's prime minister is promising a reset in relations between the two countries.

https://p.dw.com/p/4DWG6
Emmanuel Macron and Anthony Albanese in Paris
Macron called Australia a 'great partner' of FranceImage: Benoit Tessier/REUTERS

French President Emmanuel Macron told new Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese he wanted to look to the future rather than the past as they try to rebuild ties strained by an Australian decision to ditch a submarine contract with Paris.

Asked if Albanese should apologize, Macron responded: "He's not responsible for what happened. We'll speak about the future, not the past."

A 'new start' in relations

Albanese said that the meeting marked a "new start" in relations between the two countries.

"My presence here represents a new start for our countries' relationship," Albanese said. "Australia's relationship with France matters. Trust, respect and honesty matter. This is how I will approach my relations."

Macron said that the meeting reflected the will to rebuild the relationship between the two countries.

What do we know about the meeting?

Talks at the Elysee Palance focused on "restoring confidence," as well as touching on issues such as stability in the Pacific and climate change, the French president's office said.

It was the first formal meeting between Australian and French leaders since conservative former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison canceled a contract with France to build a dozen diesel-powered submarines in September 2021. Albanese defeated Morrison in Australia's federal election in May.

Macron said that Albanese "has a lot more in common with France's agenda … than was the case with his predecessor."

"I approach these talks with a lot of optimism and determination, because Australia is a great partner and the situation inherited from past bad behavior was not a good one," he said before the meeting.

Why did Australia scrap the submarine deal?

After canceling the deal with Paris, Canberra entered a new security pact with the United Kingdom and the United States, which will supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.

Macron recalled France's envoys to both Australia and the US following Canberra's decision.

France holds territory in the South Pacific, including the territories of French Polynesia and New Caledonia, and seeks to maneuver itself as a major power in the region.

sdi/sms (AFP, Reuters)