French and Australian Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs meeting in Paris

After settling, by paying 550 million euros to Naval Group, the breach of the contract for the delivery of submarines decided by the previous Australian government, the Labor Party elected last May is keen to open a new chapter with France and regain its confidence.

Reuters

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Penny Wong and Richard Marles, the Australian Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, are meeting their French counterparts, Catherine Colonna and Sébastien Lecornu in Paris this Monday, January 30, as part of a so-called "2+2" meeting, whose last version, in 2021, had left a bitter memory in France.

After settling, by paying 550 million euros to Naval Group, the breach of the contract for the delivery of submarines decided by the previous government, the Labor Party elected last May is keen to open a new chapter with the France and regain its confidence.

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With our correspondent in Sydney,

Regaining the confidence of Paris and deepening collaboration with France in the Indo-Pacific is the objective of the two Australian ministers who are meeting their counterparts in Paris on January 30.

Proof that relations are warming up between Paris and Canberra, this is a "2+2" meeting, bringing together the Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs of the two countries, while the last, organized in 2021, symbolized for France

The latter assured in a press release their desire to deepen cooperation with France in the field of defense and insisted on the importance of the program of future submarines.

Program that barely 15 days later, former Prime Minister Scott Morrison abandoned in open country to

A case that cost Australian taxpayers some 2 billion 400 million dollars because in addition to the

for non-compliance with the contract, the Australian government had already incurred expenses for the construction of the shipyard in Adelaide, in the south of Australia where the 12 French conventional submarines were to be built. 

► Also to listen: 

Many topics on the discussion menu

This Aukus security pact, like the choice to equip itself with nuclear-powered submarines, is not that of

, elected last May, but he defends it despite everything, because like the whole of Australian political class, he sees the United States as a vital ally.

That being said, he wants to work with France in the Indo-Pacific, particularly on issues of global warming, education, but also defence.

Penny Wong also believes that this deepening is “ 

 ”.

► To read also: 

The

, which brings together the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, was established in order to deal with the growing influence of China in the Indo-Pacific.

On September 15, 2021, former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed that his country would acquire American nuclear-powered submarines.

This is the decision that emerged from the new partnership concluded between the three countries.

The United States and the United Kingdom then ready to help Australia acquire these devices, as provided for in this new pact.

Australia officially commits on November 22, 2021 to the Aukus defense alliance after placing a gigantic order for conventional submarines in 2016 from France with Naval Group, a French industrial group specializing in shipbuilding. defense.

The group was to deliver 12 machines over 50 years with a total cost of the operation of around 50 billion Australian dollars (31 billion euros).

This contract was also described as the “contract of the century”.

On April 5, a new level was crossed since the three countries announced that they were going to develop

, a technology also developed by Beijing, and especially Moscow.

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