Franco-Australian relations: Macron and Albanese want to rebuild "trust"
French President Emmanuel Macron and the new Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese agreed this Friday, July 1 in Paris to restore "trust" between the two countries.
AFP - EMMANUEL DUNAND
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French President Emmanuel Macron and the new Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese agreed this Friday, July 1 in Paris to restore "confidence" between the two countries, seriously damaged by the cancellation by Canberra of a gigantic contract to purchase twelve French submarines.
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“
We are going to talk about the future, not the past
,” launched 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 twelve 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 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.
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 Prime Minister.
By emphasizing that “
trust, respect and honesty matter
”.
The desire to collaborate in the field of security
For his part, Emmanuel Macron expressed a common desire "
to rebuild a relationship of trust between our two countries, a relationship based on mutual respect after a difficult phase
".
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 line 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, quoting the New -Caledonia, Polynesia, Reunion, Mayotte.
The challenges facing the Chinese presence in the Pacific
Emmanuel Macron 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.
"
We are committed, like France, to a free and open Indo-Pacific
," continued Malcolm Turnbull, citing the concerns expressed by Washington, Canberra or Paris about the "
security framework agreement
" between China and
the Solomon Islands
announced in April.
They fear that China will succeed in building a naval base in the South Pacific, which would allow it to project its maritime power well 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.
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To read
: In the South Pacific, Beijing boasts of its regional free trade and security agreement
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