French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison lied to him when he cancelled the submarine construction contract in September and said more efforts are needed to rebuild trust between the two allies .
Attending the G20 summit in Rome, this is the first time the two leaders have met since Australia cancelled the multi-billion dollar agreement with France, as part of a new security alliance announced with the United Kingdom and the United States in September.
This alliance, known as AUKUS, allowed Australia to obtain nuclear-powered submarines, which caught Paris by surprise, prompting it to recall the ambassadors of Washington and Canberra, accusing France of being betrayed.
“I don’t think, I know,” Macron said in response to a question about whether he thought Morrison lied to him.
“I have great respect for your country,” he said on Sunday (October 31) to a group of Australian journalists traveling to Italy for the summit of leaders of the 20 largest economies.
“I am full of respect and friendship for your people. I just want to say that when we are respected, you must be real, you must act in accordance with these values, and be consistent.”
Morrison said at a media conference later that day that he had not lied, having previously explained to Macron that conventional submarines will no longer meet Australia’s needs. He added that the process of repairing the relationship has already begun.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce urged France to take the matter in perspective.
“We did not steal an island, we did not defile the Eiffel Tower. This is a contract,” Joyce told reporters in Morrie, 644 kilometers (400 miles) northwest of Sydney.
“The contract has terms and conditions. One of the terms and conditions and claims is that you may withdraw from the contract.”
On Friday, US President Joe Biden stated that the handling of the new agreement was awkward, adding that he believed that France had been told to cancel the contract before the agreement was announced.
