Australia PM hails 'new start' in ties with France

PARIS: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed a "new start" in relations with France as he met President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday after an acrimonious row between the two countries over a submarine contract last year.

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

Macron said the first conversations between the pair since Albanese's election in May "mark a willingness to rebuild a relationship of trust between our two countries, a relationship based on mutual respect."

After acknowledging "difficult times," the French leader emphasized Paris' and Canberra's strategic partnership, their shared war history in Europe and their joint interests in stability in the Pacific.

"We're going to talk about the future, not the past," Macron told reporters, stressing that the premier was "not responsible for what happened."

The statements, which followed a warm greeting between the two men and their wives in the palace courtyard, underline the sea change in ties since the departure of Albanese's predecessor Scott Morrison.

Macron was left furious last year after Morrison secretly negotiated to buy United States-designed submarines and then ditched a landmark contract with France signed in 2016 and worth A$50 billion (33 billion euros) at the time.

Paris broke off diplomatic contacts with Canberra and Macron repeatedly criticized the Australian conservative leader for having lied to him during a dinner they shared in the French capital in June 2021.

Morrison's actions were marked by "brutality and cynicism, and I would even be tempted to say of unequivocal incompetence," outgoing French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said as he yielded authority to his successor Catherine Colonna on May 21.

Albanese announced earlier this month that French submarine maker Naval Group had agreed to a "fair and an equitable settlement" of 555 million euros ($584 million) for Australia in ending the decade-old submarine contract.

Canberra has switched to buying nuclear-powered US submarines as part of a new security pact with the United Kingdom and the US called Aukus.

After the deal was announced, Macron recalled France's envoys to both Australia and the US in a serious and rare diplomatic crisis between leading Western powers.

France considers itself to be a Pacific power, thanks to its overseas territories, including New Caledonia and French Polynesia and shares Australia's concerns about China's assertiveness in the region.

"We recognize France is not just a great European power, but also an Indo-Pacific and global power. I know that France's active engagement in the Indo-Pacific will be critical in overcoming the challenges that confront our region," Albanese said.

He and Macron also stressed their common views on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with both countries supplying weapons to Kyiv.

"My government strongly condemns Russia's illegal and totally unjustified invasion of Ukraine," Albanese said. "I commend President Macron's leadership in support of Ukraine's sovereignty and the struggle of the people of Ukraine."

Macron praised Albanese's commitment to the fight against climate change, which reverses the stance of Morrison.

The Australian government recently asked the United Nations to raise the country's 2030 emissions reduction target.

"The new Australian position — proactive, ambitious — offers us opportunities to advance together," Macron said.

Source: TheManila Times