French, Australian Leaders Agree To Restore Ties Based On Mutual Respect, Trust - Paris

French, Australian Leaders Agree to Restore Ties Based on Mutual Respect, Trust - Paris

PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th May, 2022) French President Emmanuel Macron and newly elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday reached an agreement on the restoration of bilateral ties based on mutual trust after they were undermined by Scott Morrison's decision to unilaterally withdraw from the submarine deal with Paris, the Elysee Palace said on Thursday.

Macron and Albanese held a telephone conversation earlier on Thursday.

"Noting the serious undermining of trust after former Prime Minister Scott Morrison's decision to end the submarine program, the head of the country (Emmanuel Macron) and (new) Prime Minister of Australia agreed to restore bilateral relations based on trust and respect to jointly address global challenges," the Elysee said in a statement.

The sides also discussed the bilateral agenda, the situation in Ukraine, and measures aimed at tackling a possible food crisis in the world.

Albanese expressed his confidence earlier that he would be able to normalize relations with the French leadership.

The Australian government headed by Morrison abandoned the $64 billion program to build up to 12 French-designed submarines in mid-September. Instead, Australia reached an agreement with the United Kingdom and the United States within a trilateral security pact dubbed AUKUS. Under the pact, the US and the UK pledged to help Canberra acquire nuclear-powered submarines. Ex-French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called such a move a "stab in the back."