- France’s ambassador to Australia will return to Canberra after last month’s furore over a scrapped $90 billion submarine deal between the nations
- The ambassador, Jean-Pierre Thebault, was recalled after Australia cancelled its deal to buy 12 French-designed submarines in favour of the AUKUS deal
- France claims it was blindsided by the deal, with President Emmanuel Macron also recalling the country’s ambassador to Washington in response
- Now France’s ambassador will return to Australia to help define Australia’s relationship with France and defend France’s interests in the submarine deal
- Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne says the return of the French ambassador will help repair the damaged relationship between the countries
France’s ambassador to Australia is set to return to Canberra after being recalled last month amid a furore over a scrapped $90 billion submarine deal between the nations.
Jean-Pierre Thebault has been the French Ambassador to Australia since 2020 but was recalled to Paris after Australia announced its AUKUS deal with the US and the UK.
The deal will see Australia secure a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines from the US and the UK, but it meant Australia would ditch a deal to buy 12 French-designed submarines first signed back in 2016.
France claimed it was blindsided by the deal and President Emmanuel Macron also recalled the country’s ambassador to Washington in response.
However, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told parliament this week he had now asked the country’s ambassador to return to Canberra with two missions: “Helping to define our relationship with Australia in the future … and firmly defend our interests in the implementation of Australia’s decision to terminate the submarine program”.
France did not specify a date by which the ambassador would return to Canberra.
Australia’s Foreign Minister, Marise Payne, welcomed the news and said in a statement the return of the French ambassador will help repair the damaged relationship between the countries.
“We will work with France to move forward with our relationship,” Ms Payne said.
“We recognise this will take time and ongoing engagement following our submarine decision. The return of the Ambassador is a welcome step in the process.”
France has already sent its US ambassador back to Washington after a call between President Macron and US President Joe Biden.
Mr Macron has not been as quick to return France’s ambassador to Australia, which is the primary subject of the submarine furore.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has continued to defend the decision to scrap the French deal in favour of the AUKUS agreement.
Both Mr Morrison and Defence Minister Peter Dutton claim Australia flagged concerns about the French submarine deal months before cancelling it and that the decision to change tac should not have come as a surprise to France.
In solidarity with France, the European Union last week postponed a scheduled round of talks with Australia over a free trade deal.