To "rebuild trust" between their two countries, French President Emmanuel Macron and the new Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are meeting on Friday July 1 in Paris.

Bilateral Franco-Australian relations were at their lowest since the submarine crisis last fall.

"We are going to talk about the future, not the past," said the French head of state after welcoming Anthony Albanese in the courtyard of the Élysée Palace in Paris.

The new Prime Minister, who came to power in May after Labor won the general election, "is not responsible for what happened", he added.

Emmanuel Macron was referring to the high tensions between Paris and Canberra following the cancellation in September 2021 by Australia of a mega contract for 12 submarines, in favor of nuclear-powered vessels as part of the announcement of the Aukus partnership between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. 

The French president then accused Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison of deception and the French ambassadors to Canberra and Washington were recalled to Paris, an unprecedented gesture.

In May, the electoral defeat of Scott Morrison made it possible to begin to turn the page, especially as Anthony Albanese multiplied the positive signals towards Paris.  

Australia's new prime minister on June 11 announced a €555 million compensation deal with French submarine maker Naval Group for the canceled submarine contract.

In total, the failure of this contract will have cost 2.4 billion dollars to Australian taxpayers, according to Anthony Albanese.

After a first meeting this week at the NATO summit in Madrid, the visit to Paris represents "a new start in bilateral relations", said the Australian Prime Minister.

By insisting that "trust, respect and honesty matter". 

For his part, Emmanuel Macron expressed a desire "to rebuild a relationship of trust between our two countries, a relationship based on mutual respect after a difficult phase".

Collaboration in the field of security 

The atmosphere was also very relaxed at the Élysée, where Emmanuel Macron was surrounded by his wife Brigitte to welcome Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon.

In the afternoon, they were to inaugurate the exhibition of Aboriginal artist Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori at the Fondation Cartier in Paris.

Upon his arrival, Anthony Albanese insisted that France was "not only a great European power, but also an Indo-Pacific and world power". 

“Its commitment in the Indo-Pacific will be essential to face the challenges facing our region,” he added, adding that the two countries could notably collaborate in the field of security.

Such a speech is in accordance with the will of Emmanuel Macron, who has insisted since 2017 on the importance for France of developing "an Indo-Pacific strategy".

Because "we are actors" in this vast region "we have a million compatriots" who live there and "more than 8,000 soldiers who are deployed there", detailed the Head of State on Thursday, citing New Caledonia, Polynesia, Reunion or Mayotte.

He also said he wanted the freedom of our sovereignty to be "respected everywhere", alluding to Chinese ambitions in the area.

"We are facing real challenges from China in the Pacific," former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull recently stressed during a meeting with journalists organized by the Institut Montaigne in Paris.

>> To read also: "In the case of the submarines, France pays a policy 'too soft' vis-a-vis China"

"We are committed, like France, to a free and open Indo-Pacific", continued Malcom Turnbull, citing the concerns expressed by Washington, Canberra or Paris about the "framework security agreement" between China and the Solomon Islands announced in April.

They fear that China will manage to build a naval base in the South Pacific that would allow it to project its maritime power far beyond its borders.

For Emmanuel Macron, France and Australia can also cooperate in many areas, including the fight against climate change, maritime transport, protection of the seabed, space or culture.

With AFP

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