Australian Prime Minister Morrison says efforts to reach out to France have been unsuccessful

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had tried to set up a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, but without success so far, a week after his cancellation of a major submarine deal has sparked a diplomatic quarrel with Paris.

Speaking in Washington on Wednesday, Morrison said he would be patient in reconnecting with France.

Paris recalled its ambassadors from Canberra and Washington, saying it was blinded by Australia’s decision to build nuclear-powered submarines with the United States and Britain rather than stick to its contract for French diesel submarines.

Macron and US President Joe Biden spoke by phone on Wednesday to ease relations, and France has said its ambassador will return to Washington next week.

However, Morrison, who is in the United States for a series of meetings this week, said he had tried to organize his own appeal with the French president but had not yet succeeded.

“Yes, we have. And the opportunity for that appeal is not yet available. But we will be patient,” Morrison said after meeting with US lawmakers to discuss the submarine deal and of a new security alliance with the United States and Great Britain called AUKUS.

Morrison reiterated that he understood France’s disappointment and noted that the cancellation of the sub’s contract, initially valued at € 30 billion and more recently at € 45 billion, meant the issues were different. of those between Washington and Paris, and which they would take longer to resolve.

“I am looking forward to it and when the time is right and when the opportunity arises, we will have a similar discussion,” he said.

Morrison said the agreement for Australia to establish a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines and the new Australia-UK-US Tripartite Security Alliance (AUKUS) had received bipartisan support during its meetings. meetings with US lawmakers and officials.

Australia denies commitment to outsource

Meanwhile, Australia on Thursday denied a claim by France that Canberra had re-committed to a € 5 billion contract to buy French submarines in a letter sent just before announcing that it instead bought submarines from the United States and the United Kingdom.

Earlier this week, the spokesperson for the French Armed Forces Ministry wrote on Twitter that Australia sent a letter to France on the day AUKUS announced it, saying it was satisfied with the progress of the program.

“In short: looking forward to launching the next phase of the contract,” wrote spokesperson Hervé Grandjean.

However, Australia’s Defense Ministry said on Thursday that the letter, which it said was sent the day before the announcement, contained no new commitments.

“This correspondence did not refer to or authorize the start of the next phase of the program, which remained subject to the announcement of Australian government decisions,” a Defense Department spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters .