Thebault, said on Wednesday that Australia acted with deceit when it abruptly cancelled a multi

Ambassador to Australia Jean-Pierre Thebault used an address to Australia’s National Press Club to make a

build a fleet of submarines." The deceit was intentional," Mr Thebault told the media in Canberra on

Open this photo in gallery Recalled French Ambassador to Australia Jean-Pierre Thebault speaks

CANBERRA( Reuters)-Australia's assertion that it could not inform France of its top-secret talks with the United States and Britain to build nuclear submarines is" childish", the French envoy to Canberra said on Friday. Australia walked away from a$ 40 billion deal with France's Naval Group to build a fleet of conventional submarines last month and will instead build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with U.S. and British technology after striking a trilateral security partnership with t

French and Australian officials said Monday that France's anger over a cancelled submarine contract will not derail negotiations on an Australia-European Union free trade deal. France withdrew its ambassadors to the United States and Australia after President Joe Biden revealed last week a new alliance including Australia and Britain that would deliver an Australian fleet of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines. The deal sunk a 90 billion Australian dollar($ 66 billion) contract for French

Recommended Aukus: What is the new defence pact between Australia, Britain and the US?... It’s spoiling a friendship, ” he said.... “ I took it as a betrayal.” Additional reporting by Reuters....

( Refiles to fix broken link in last paragraph) CANBERRA( Reuters)-Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Thursday the return of France's ambassador to Canberra will help repair relations between the two countries which were damaged when Australia cancelled a$ 40 billion submarine contract. Australia last month walked away from a deal with France's Naval Group to build a fleet of conventional submarines and will instead build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with U.S. and Bri

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison delivers an address during the COP26 Summit, at the SECC in Glasgow, Scotland, on Nov.... Macron this week accused Morrison of lying to him at a Paris dinner in June about the fate of a 5-year-old contract with majority French state-owned Naval Group to build 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines.... Morrison told Australian reporters who had accompanied him to Glasgow, Scotland, for a U.N. climate conference that he made clear to Macron at their d

“ Australia terminated the contract for convenience, which means that we are not at fault.... It is a case that is planned for in the contract and will require payment of our costs that were incurred and those to come, linked to the demobilisation of infrastructure and IT as well as the redeployment of employees.... We will assert our rights," Mr Pommellet told the French newspaper Le Figaro. Expressing shock at Australia's decision, he added," this decision was announced to us without any not