French President Emmanuel Macron opened a “new chapter” in their relationship with Australia this Friday. They hoped to end the submarine crisis. According to a joint statement, the leaders pledged to create “a closer and stronger bilateral relationship, based upon trust and mutual respect.”
After Scott Morrison, the conservative Australian government, unilaterally ended “the contract for the century” to purchase French submarines, relations between Canberra and Paris were severely damaged.
Macron replied to a journalist when asked if he expected Albanese to apologize for the events. He is not responsible.”
Albanese was elected as prime minister in May and stressed the importance of the ties between the two countries. “Australia’s relationship to France is important. Trust, respect, and honesty are important,” stated the Labor politician. He also reminded that France is not only a great European power but a powerful power in the Indo-Pacific as well as globally.
In September 2021, the previous Australian Government cancelled the contract to purchase 12 French-powered conventionally-powered submarines. The contract was worth 56,000 million.
After reaching an agreement with the United States of America and the United Kingdom, Canberra cancelled the millionaire contract. This was to create Aukus, a strategic alliance that will counter China’s advance in the Indo-Pacific. He will now have access to American technology to build nuclear submarines.
A diplomatic crisis erupted after the cancellation of the contract. Paris, outraged by the non-ahead notice breach, recalled its ambassadors in protest to Australia and the United States. This was a rare gesture from allies. The Elysee Palace believed that Washington had torpedoed the agreement on the purchase of French submarines by Australia.
The oceanic country announced three weeks ago that it would compensate Naval Group, a French company, with 555 million Euros for unilaterally violating the contract to purchase French submarines.
